Ultimate Divergent, Ultimate Danger (UD2)
by The Ultimate Divergent
Summary: Grey Alixa Rigor, daughter of Tris and Tobias Eaton-Rigor, has a situation. She has aptitude for all five factions, and has been studied by Jeanine Matthews since she was 14. Now Grey is 16, with only three months until the Choosing Ceremony, the day of her release. Follow Grey as she battles her fears and takes on the challenge of choosing a new faction and making new friends.
1. Chapter 1: Custody

**AN: Hola amigos! So, I'm The Ultimate Divergent (previously Mockingjayflying456). The last story I did was a Hunger Games story, which is still on my profile, and it totally stank. I'm hoping to start over and try again with this story. So, please, if you will, review and tell me how I'm doing! If you have any criticism, please make it constructive. **

**Also, I'm sorry if the chapters are a little short. They will get longer as I post more. Until then, enjoy UD2!**

Ultimate Divergent, Ultimate Danger (UD2)

**Chapter 1: Custody**

If looks could kill, then I'd be dead now.

Her cold eyes pierce into my heart and I feel like it's going to shatter.

Jeanine Matthews stands across from me in this bare, hospital-style room giving me a look that makes me shudder.

"Get a blood sample, and then we'll view her brain scan," she says, walking over to one of her "students" and handing them a syringe.

I tense up. I've not really much enjoyed needles, especially when I am not told what is going to happen to me after they use them.

The student steps next to my left arm, my dominant arm, and inserts the syringe. As they continue taking blood from me, I feel tears creep into my eyes.

_Not here, Grey, _I tell myself, _not around them. _Crying would be a sign of weakness, something I wouldn't dare do. Not where I am.

In Erudite, under control of Jeanine Matthews, breaking down is out of the question. When they are done taking my blood, I am escorted to an empty room. "This room will be your cell," my escort grumbles. I look at the plaque on the door before I go in.

It reads, _Grey Alixa Rigor, Subject 004. _I set my gaze on the floor as I enter the room. After my escort shuts the door, I break down. I sob uncontrollably, my tears dampening my hands and making them slick. After the uncontrollable sobbing reduces to a slight sniffle, I recall why I'm here in the first place.

When I was 14, someone at school watched me go through my school days for a while. They detected unusual behavior and sent me to Erudite to have tests run on me. They were as inconclusive as results could get. It turns out that they had run a version of the aptitude test on me. My result had me testing positive for all 5 factions. Seeing this as an opportunity to quench her thirst for knowledge, Jeanine took me into custody of Erudite, and began to study me. I'm 16 now, and now the conclusion of her studies is bound to be near. The Choosing Ceremony for the factions is in 3 months.

She'll have to release me then. For now, all I can do is hold in the rest of my tears and fall asleep as I stare at the blue walls.

**AN: Reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Torture

**Chapter 2: Torture**

I wake up to the sound of a creaking door. My door. I turn around to see who's coming in, and I face none other than Jeanine Matthews.

"More tests today," she says icily. I freeze with fright. More tests and more torture. Yippee. I follow Jeanine into the simulation room, and she straps me into a chair.

_How will I be tortured today? _I think, _what kind of simulation does she have for me today? _Another student walks up to me with the simulation serum. I gasp as soon as I see it. More needles. After attaching an electrode to my forehead, the student inserts the needle of the syringe into my neck.

The last thing I see is Jeanine's eyes piercing my heart again.

When I open my eyes, I find myself in a battle. Screams rage all around me, and gunshots pop like popcorn in the air. Next to me is a gun. I pick it up, and admire the way it feels into my hand.

My moment of pleasure is cut short when I see a Dauntless soldier stand in front of me, gun raised to shoot. I look at the face, and nearly faint. It's my father, Tobias Eaton, who changed his last name to Rigor soon before I was born.

He growls, "Drop your weapon, or I'll shoot." Shocked, I kneel down and lay my gun on the ground.

"Dad," I sob, "I've been wondering where you are." He stares at me with the same cold face as before.

"Who are you calling Dad?" he shouts. Then, he starts to morph into someone else. Fear registers inside of me when I see who is really pointing a gun at me.

It's Jeanine Matthews.

Before I can even try to control my emotions, they overcome me. I howl and scream like an animal. I sob so hard that I start choking, and then I let out a guttural scream that makes my blood roar in my ears.

Right before my eyes open, I hear a gun go off, and Jeanine slumps on the ground.

Jeanine's student looks back at me and removes the electrode from my head. He cringes, and quickly runs over to join Jeanine, who is looking at the results.

"Well," she says, "That sure was interesting. Take Miss Rigor back to her cell."

The student who removed my electrode snaps, "She has a name for a reason. Maybe you should use it."

I bite my lip as she responds, "Fine, Evan. Take Miss _Grey _back to her cell."

I mouth, _Thanks _to Evan before he takes me back to the room with _Grey Alixa Rigor _on the door. Before he closes it, he smiles, and hands me a sandwich out of his pocket.

"I saved it for you," he whispers, "I thought you deserved some breakfast after that torture session Jeanine calls a test." I give him one of my rare smiles, and he grins back at me.

"See you later, Grey Alixa Rigor," he whispers.


	3. Chapter 3: Learning

**Chapter 3: Learning**

About two weeks of more testing, Jeanine comes into my room again. Her face is cold, and I can see her eyes shattering my heart again. She walks over to me, grabs my arm, and drags me out of my room.

"I've got another test to run on you," she states, "I'm going to try a version of the simulation serum used in Dauntless that has no dilation factor in it. The effects will be stronger." I nod. _Why is she telling me this? What makes her think I want to know how she's going to torture me?_

The answer comes as soon as I finish forming the question, "One of my students, Evan, believes it is of the utmost importance that we tell you what our plans are for your testing. He believes it is the most humane thing we can do besides releasing you, which is out of the question until your choosing ceremony," Jeanine says with a flourish. _Are all Erudite that eloquent? Is Evan that eloquent?_

She leads me into the simulation room and I get strapped into the chair again. I glance at the syringe that contains the simulation serum, and I stare at a grey-blue liquid that reminds me of ice. Maybe my simulation will involve thin ice. No, it can't have thin ice in it. I'm not afraid of thin ice. After my brief minute of thought, Evan inserts the syringe into my neck as I tense up at the sight of the needle.

This time, my last sight is of Evan, and he is speaking to me. I barely hear the words. "It's almost over, Grey. Just be strong," he murmurs. Then everything fades from blue, to grey, to black.

My eyes open, and I take in my surroundings. I am in the simulation room, and Jeanine and all of her students stand in front of me, each holding a syringe and a knife. They advance towards me,

And I

Lose

It.

I scream and sob hysterically and wish I had some sort of weapon. Almost immediately, a gun appears in front of me and I snatch it up. I fire in all directions, watching blood spray everywhere. Horrified by all of the blood and the sight of so many needles, I scream louder and louder until I wake up.

I wake up to a scowling Jeanine directing her sour look at me.

"I believe we have many more studies to perform on Miss Rigor," Jeanine grumbles.

I start to ask, "What about my-"

"Speak only when spoken to!" Jeanine yells. I press back into my chair, taken aback by the force of her words.

"Now," Jeanine says with a purr in her voice, "We still have two and a half more months before you choose. I'm actually surprising myself by even letting you choose, but anyway, I expect no escape attempts or suicide attempts. No faction wants to have one less transfer. Now, start counting down if you wish."

I do count down. _There's t-minus 2 months and 2 weeks until I am free._

_ Free, _I think, _that word has never made me so happy._

Evan escorts me back to my cell and hands me a sandwich for dinner. He gives me a look of hope. I hope to be free. I hope to be me.

Then he shuts the door.


	4. Chapter 4: Uncontrollable

**Chapter 4: Uncontrollable**

The next morning, I wake to pleasant thoughts about me taking the knife from the leader of whatever faction hosts the Choosing ceremony, cutting my hand, and watching my blood drip into my substance of choice.

It's a happy thought, but I don't keep it for long. My torturer/captor walks in the door.

"More tests?" I ask. A sinister look creeps across Jeanine's face, and I know that I've hit the nail on the head.

"Correct," Jeanine responds, "I thought I'd give you a more interactive simulation today." The sinister look doesn't leave her face.

_It's okay, Grey,_ I tell myself, _you are uncontrollable. You are the ultimate Divergent. You can manipulate simulations. You can overcome this._

I am strapped to a chair again, and I don't even flinch this time when I am injected with a pale pink serum.

I wake up to find myself in a room lined with boxing dummies and gymnastics mats. I've been told about this place before. My mother, Tris, told me about her days as an initiate here. This is the Dauntless training room.

Standing in front of me is a girl I've never seen before. She's pretty, though. Her hair is long, brown, and wavy like mine, and her eyes are the same light grey as mine. Then it hits me. This girl is me. I have to fight me.

"Go!" the trainer yells. Then, she leaps at me, and throws a strong punch at my side. I'm nimble enough to evade it, and I throw a punch right back at her. My double winces. I caught her in the stomach. She doubles over, and I feel a surge of pride. My pride is cut short when I feel the crushing blow of her fist strike me in the jaw.

Pain blurs my vision, spotting it with various shades of black, blue, and grey. Through the spots, I see the way I will win this. I look at her unprotected face, planning my course of action. _Action is but one letter short of Faction. I will win this. I will win the Dauntless's approval._ Then, I throw my elbow at her face, and she falls to the ground. I press on her back with all of the strength my hands can muster.

I did it. I won.

I wake up from the simulation with a grin on my face. _Take that, Jeanine,_ I think.

She scowls at me. Behind her look of disgust is a look of defeat. I have won this battle. I am triumphant. I am uncontrollable. I am Divergent.

Back in my cell, I silently cheer for myself until I remember where I am.

_There's t-minus 2 months, 1 week, and 6 days until I am free._

I may have won this battle, but Jeanine and I are still fighting the war.


	5. Chapter 5: Preparation

**Chapter 5: Preparation**

When I wake up the next morning, anger and sadness crash down on me. Today is going to be a bad day, and I know it. I grumble when Jeanine drags me back into the simulation room without a word. Her loss from yesterday must still be sticking in her head.

_I was the one who won. I was the winner._ That thought is almost unthinkable now. When Evan walks over to me to inject me with the serum, he pauses. How odd. Is Evan finally breaking down?

"Evan, this is a laboratory, not a waiting room," Jeanine snaps, "Get a move on, and give her the serum!"

All I can do is give Evan a look of encouragement. His eyes avoid mine as he inserts the needle of the syringe into my neck.

The last thing I see this time is Evan turning around to say something to a student who is standing behind him.

When I wake up, I am on the roof of a seven-story building in a crowd of people from all of the factions. I see a group of Dauntless laughing loudly and high-fiving each other. Two Amity chatter quietly, some Candor have a small conversation, and finally, a cluster of four Erudite seem like they're in a debate with each other. The only Abnegation person sits on the concrete under our feet and tries to blend in. Then I decide to try to engage in a conversation. I walk over to the Candor group, and am just about to speak up, when everyone converges on me.

This is bad. I don't like angry mobs about as much as I dislike needles. They walk closer and closer to me, and I walk farther to the edge of the roof. They all mutter incomprehensible sentences to each other as they press forward. I am standing dangerously close to the edge of the roof, and my heart speeds up. I feel the familiar adrenaline rush that accompanies fear, and I start planning my response.

_Fight or flight. Which am I going to do? _I question myself. As I near the edge of the roof, I see the wide hole in the pavement below me, and I feel my adrenaline rush kicking in again.

I have two options right now. I can fight my way through the crowd, or I can jump into the hole in the pavement.

_ Be an Erudite, _I tell myself, _Think like an Erudite. _If I were to fight my way back on the roof, I could possibly get thrown off of the other side of the roof. I can't say this with certainty, but I don't think there's a hole on the other side. That leaves me one option. I swallow hard. I have to jump.

_It's now or never._ I am on the edge of the roof. My time of thought is up. I turn around, facing the hole. I inhale deeply, bend my knees, and jump.

I sail through the air, falling faster and faster until I hit something springy. I laugh, knowing I won this battle, too. I enjoy my last few moments of exhilaration until I wake up.

When my eyes open, I see a smiling Evan standing over my chair. He removes my wires, and leads me back to my cell. As we are walking, I start wondering how this bad day somehow got turned around. I'm so happy that there's only one thing that could make me any happier. An escape.

I start to formulate a plan to at least get me outside these doors for a few seconds. If Evan were to leave my door open tonight, then I could possibly slip out of my cell, sneak past the people at the front desk of the building, and get out. I would finally get a taste of freedom!

As Evan closes my door, I stop him from finishing what he started.

"Evan," I ask, "I really need to get outside. Can you help me?" He nods.

"I'll crack your door slightly tonight. Then you can get out for maybe at least a few minutes," he answers. I give him a thumbs-up and a smile, and he closes my door.

Tonight, I will get my first sampling of freedom. I can hardly wait.


	6. Chapter 6: Free

**Chapter 6: Free**

After many hours of anticipation, I finally am escorted back to my cell for the night. Evan, like he promised, closes the door as much as he can without completely closing it.

"See you tomorrow, Grey," he whispers. I smile, and start deciding when I will escape. I decide to wait until every light except the nighttime lights that keep the hallway dimly lit are off. Minutes turn into hours, and finally, I hear the last light click off. Footsteps pass by my cracked door, and disappear down the hall.

It's time. I can feel it in my mind. I creep over to my door, and gently open it. It doesn't creak, which makes me exhale with relief. I step out of my room, and start down the hall to the right, my bare feet cold on the blue marble floor. I see lights descending at the end of the hall, marking a staircase. I continue padding down the long hallway and finally come to the descending path of lights. I step carefully down the cold stairs. Everything goes fine until I come close to the bottom of the stairs, and I miss a step by accident.

A sharp, loud shriek leaves my mouth. _Bad move, _I think, _there goes my chance of freedom._

I hear footsteps coming down the hall after me, and I run down the next hallway as quickly and as quietly as I can. I run down more halls and more staircases, hearing the footsteps pound the ground far behind me. The footsteps are too far behind me, though. I am already too far ahead for the footsteps to reach me.

I run past the front desk, which, to my delight, is unoccupied. I push open the glass doors, and run to the end of the front walkway.

I stand on the line where the dark concrete of the road meets the smooth, white pavement of the front walkway, and I feel the pavement chill my feet even more.

A gentle breeze begins to blow, making my long, dark blue Erudite skirt and the lighter blue blouse blow slightly to the right, and sweeping my long, brown waves of hair to one side.

_Is this what freedom feels like? _I ask myself. I stand there a moment, letting the wind freeze my toes and play with my hair and clothes. I smile, and hold my hands out at my sides, soaking up all of this wonderful feeling called freedom. I close my eyes, and stretch my face to the wind. Then I hear the pound of the footsteps that followed me.

I hear the door of the edifice that is the Erudite building slam shut, and the footsteps stop as soon as the door closes.

A voice snarls, "You thought you could escape, didn't you?" My stomach drops. Jeanine has followed me outside.

I hear a click, and then the familiar bang of a gunshot rings in my ears. As soon as the bang sounds, I feel a stab of pain in my right shoulder. I shriek in pain, and turn around to see what just hit me. I turn my head around, and see the end of a dart sticking out of my shoulder, surrounded by a trickle of blood. Jeanine has shot me with a tranquilizer gun.

I feel the effects of the tranquilizer kick in immediately. The world starts to spin, and my eyes feel heavy.

I hear Jeanine snarl, "Next time, I show you no mercy." That is the last thing I hear before I start falling forward.

"Going…..down….." I croak. Then everything fades from grey to black and I pass out on the concrete.


	7. Chapter 7: Waking

**Chapter 7: Waking**

When I finally break out of the tranquilizer-induced sleep, I am aware that I am waking up, but I am not quite awake. I am aware of the fact that I am lying on a cold metal table. I can feel the metal freezing my back.

I can also hear Evan's voice calling to me. "Grey? Grey. Can you hear me?" he asks with a tone that radiates concern and worry. I don't want Evan to worry anymore, so I force myself out of my light sleep.

At first, all I see is a bright light and a patch of blue, and then everything comes into focus. I see Evan smiling at me now that he knows I'm awake. I smile back at him.

"Hey," he says quietly, "I was wondering when I would see your eyes again." I smile even wider and watch him do the same.

"How long was I out for?" I ask, "I want to know how much of my life I've missed." He laughs quietly and tells me, "One day. Whatever was in that tranquilizer must have been stronger than Jeanine thought."

That means I've got 2 months, 1 week, and 4 days until real freedom will become tangible.

"When am I going to resume testing?" I ask, trying out the eloquence of an Erudite. I just have to wonder when Jeanine is going to forget this little episode and move on.

"In five minutes," he answers, "Jeanine's going to try a new simulation based on your fears and your fight or flight response. Call it the fear landscape."

I widen my eyes. Tris told me about when she went through her fear landscape when she was a Dauntless initiate. This will be the ultimate test. I'm surprised that Jeanine is trying this so early.

Then, all the chance of me being able to regain my happiness vanishes as the door opens. Jeanine walks in the room with a look of pure rage on her face.

"Evan!" she hisses, "No more switching out any materials that I am going to use on Miss Rigor. Clear?" Evan nods, clearly showing his fright in the look on his face.

Jeanine senses his fear and exchanges her look of rage for a look of superiority and triumph. "Bring Miss Rigor to the simulation room, and no more tricks. If you play any more tricks, you'll be saying goodbye to Erudite," she says with a chastising tone. Then she leaves the room, and I can hear her shoes thumping down the hall.

Evan helps me get off of the cold table, and we walk down the hall to the simulation room.

"What was Jeanine talking about when she said not to switch out any materials being used on me?" I ask.

Evan hesitates for a moment, and finally explains it to me. "I've been trying my hardest to save your life. Jeanine was going to shoot you with a real gun, but at the last second, I replaced it with a tranquilizer gun. I figured that if you had to be shot with something, it should be a tranquilizer gun. I wanted you to come back unharmed."

Now I understand. Evan wants me alive. He likes me. He is willing to risk himself being factionless to keep me alive. He must have aptitude for Abnegation, because the selfless side of him is obviously showing.

"Do you know what faction you're going to choose?" I ask him.

"No," he answers with a sigh, "I'm just pretty much going to school in this lab. I haven't chosen yet, and I have no idea what to choose." I nod, and see that we are at the door of the simulation room.

"Be strong, Grey," he whispers as he straps me into the chair and injects me with a green serum. Instead of blacking out, I feel a strange sensation of pure joy, and am confused. Then it hits me. Whatever Evan injected me with isn't simulation serum.


	8. Chapter 8: Peace

**Chapter 8: Peace **

For some odd reason, I feel so happy, I want to sing. I want to run through a field of flowers with Evan's hand in mine. Then I notice that I'm strapped to a chair. Whoever strapped me in this chair is so mean!

"It's a beautiful sunshiny day!" I exclaim, "Let's promise not be mean to anyone ever again, and go outside to pick flowers!"

Jeanine and the rest of her students, including Evan stare at me with their eyebrows raised. Wow, people are so evil! Staring is so impolite. Everyone knows that! Oh well. Not everyone is as happy as I am. Happiness has completely overcome me, and I love it. I smile as wide as I can, showing everyone what they should be doing right now.

"Anyone want to enjoy this beautiful day?" I offer. Then everyone stares at Evan with their eyebrows raised, just like they did to me.

"What did I do?" Evan asks innocently.

"Don't play stupid!" Jeanine yells, "We all know you replaced the fear landscape serum with peace serum. Now we have to listen to her babble on and on about sunshine and flowers for five hours! Where did you get the peace serum, anyway?"

Evan answers, "Amity."

Jeanine has a really mad look on her face, and shouts, "No duh!" at Evan. Some people surprise me with their meanness. Jeanine is one of those people.

For some odd reason, I want to give someone a hug. When Evan is ordered by Jeanine to drag me back to my cell, I give him a big hug. He looks stunned, but still accepts the hug. Then, I loop my arm around his, and skip back to my cell, bubbling over with pleasure and happiness.

When Evan shuts the door, I call, "Goodbye! See you later!" Evan just cringes and walks away.

For the next five hours, I skip around my room singing various happy songs and tell everyone who passes by my door how beautiful of a day it is.

When it finally wears off, and Evan informs me about what I've been doing for the last five hours, I scream.

"Augh!" I scream, "You let me ramble on about beautiful weather and skip around my room for five hours! Why peace serum? Why couldn't you have injected me with truth serum or something instead?"

Evan does nothing. He just lets me yell and scream for the next thirty minutes. When I'm done, he rubs his forehead.

"Thanks," he says sarcastically, "I really needed a headache." My face falls. I don't really prefer being scolded by someone who I am starting to like in _that _way, but I can't run the world.

"Sorry," I say quietly. He nods, and leaves my room.

"Testing resumes tomorrow," he informs me as he shuts the door. That's great. Just great. Tomorrow I have to continue the torturous simulations that Jeanine puts me through.

I kind of deserve it, though. I spent five hours convincing everyone in the Erudite building that I was a crazy, lunatic hippie who has problems keeping her joy contained. I hope they go easy on me with the tests.

Now, all I really should do is go to sleep and try not to think about what I did to everyone yesterday. I hope no one was too traumatized.

I laugh when I think of the sight of Jeanine Matthews running around the Erudite building going completely crazy with fright. After that, I start imagining Jeanine doing weird and crazy things.

My last strange thought is of strange fears Jeanine could have. I start to make a mental list. My list stops at marshmallows, puppies, kittens, and rainbows before I drift off into a deep sleep.


	9. Chapter 9: Sacrifice

**Chapter 9: Sacrifice**

I wake up to the sound of someone banging on the door. "Open up!" a familiar voice yells. My heart drops to my stomach. Jeanine's voice echoes down the hallway outside my room, which is not a good sign. I guess she's still mad at Evan for giving me peace serum instead of simulation serum.

Jeanine opens the door and drags me out of my room. She slams the door behind us, and walks briskly to the simulation room with my arm in a death grip. When we arrive at the simulation room, she straps me into the chair, takes a syringe filled with bright orange serum, and walks over to me. Her face displays a sinister, evil grin, and her voice scares me even more.

"This is a version of the test that I would have run on you if it weren't for the peace serum," Jeanine tells me, "I changed it because Evan wouldn't stop nagging me to make it a less traumatizing test, and I also realized that it could give you an unfair advantage if you decided to choose Dauntless, which is where that test is usually administered." I nod, and she hands the syringe to Evan, who's been standing in the corner of the room. "I thought you would rather have him inject you," Jeanine says slyly.

Jeanine's right. I feel at ease when Evan walks over to me slowly, and I don't even flinch as he inserts the tip of the needle into my neck. Then, I watch as the room slowly fades away, and I am left in total darkness.

When I open my eyes, I find myself in a war. I hear the familiar bang of gunshots and pained wails ringing in my ears. I feel a gun in my hand, and a surge of pride runs through me. I stand up, put the gun in my back pocket, and run. I don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing, so I follow a small group of Dauntless soldiers until they stop. I nearly faint when I realize why all of them have stopped.

A small Amity girl with blond hair and blue eyes stands in front of the crowd of Dauntless soldiers. She looks terrified of all of the black-clothed, weapon-bearing men and women. Her eyes are wide, and she trembles with fear. Then, one of the Dauntless raises her gun and wraps her finger around the trigger.

"No!" I scream, "Don't shoot her!" The Dauntless whirl around and stare at me as I walk to the girl. I take my gun, and throw it as far as I can. I kneel down in front of the girl, and give her a soft smile. "I don't want to hurt you," I say, in an effort to console the girl. She looks at me with a hint of apprehension in her look of terror. I show her my empty hands. "I'm unarmed," I continue, "I am not with them." She looks deep in thought, probably about whether or not she should trust me. Then, her expression changes. A smile crosses her face, and she throws her arms around my neck. I smile too, and enjoy this happy moment.

The happiness doesn't last for long. "What are you doing?" a Dauntless soldier shouts, "That's not our job! We're supposed to kill her, not befriend her!"

Terror returns to the girl's face, and I widen my eyes in fright when I hear a bullet click into the chamber of a gun. They're going to kill her. Members of my real faction are going to kill an innocent Amity girl. I can't let them do that.

"No!" I shout, "What makes you think you need to shoot this poor, innocent girl?" They don't respond. A woman drags me out of the way, and I scream, holding out my hand towards the little girl. The woman holds my hands behind me, and turns me toward the girl. The poor, terrified girl screams and sobs as a Dauntless soldier walks closer to her, his gun raised in front of him. The man stops for a second to take aim, and I use this time to try to wriggle free from the woman's arms. I hear a click, which means a shot will soon follow.

I am an animal now, thrashing around in the clutch of the Dauntless woman. I bow my head forward and snap it back hard. I smile when I feel it hit something. The woman cries out, and her grip on me loosens. I use this chance to break free, and I stand in front of the Amity girl.

_Shoot me, _I think, and I drop to my knees.

Then the man exhales loudly, and a loud bang splits the air.


	10. Chapter 10: Truth

**Chapter 10: ** **Truth**

My eyes snap open. I sit there, strapped to my chair, and just sit there thinking as Evan records my responses. _I saved the girl, _I tell myself, _I saved her, but I paid a great price. Should I have not done that?_ I push that thought away as soon as it forms. The poor Amity girl deserved to live, and there was no other way to keep her safe. My moment of thought turns into a moment of fear and curiosity when Jeanine walks over to me, and gives me that look that she gives me when she's going to tell me something I don't really want to hear. I wonder what the upsetting or scary news is this time.

"Grey," she says, "I see you have not lost your aptitude for Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite. However, the simulation has not been designed to see if you still have aptitude for Candor or Amity. Luckily, I have come up with a solution." She holds up a syringe filled with a blue-green liquid, and I shudder. I've never liked Candor that much, even though I have aptitude for it. Secrets would never be safe there, which frightens me. That means that I would be especially unsafe there with my ultimate Divergence and all of those people who kill the Divergent. The thought is horrible, and I swallow it and focus on the syringe full of serum in Jeanine's hand.

I widen my eyes and watch as Jeanine kneels down next to my left side and inserts the needle of the syringe into my arm instead of my neck. I feel the stabbing pain of the sharp needle as it enters my vein, and I wince. Then, the room starts to sway, and I catch a final glimpse of Evan saying something to me. I don't catch the words, which upsets me. I look at his worried face one last time as the room slowly fades from blue to black.

I wake up in a large room with white walls and a black marble floor with a white symbol in the middle of it. Adrenaline starts coursing through my veins when I realize what the symbol is. I am looking at the unbalanced scales of Candor. Then, a man I have never seen before walks in, and points at a black folding chair.

"Sit," he says. I obey him and sit in the hard, metal chair. He pulls up a similar chair for himself and slowly sits down. He looks me in the eye, and starts talking.

"What is your name?" he asks.

"Grey Alixa Rigor," I answer.

He nods and asks me a new question. "What are your parents' names?"

That kind of question seems nosy to me, but I should be honest with him. He doesn't want to hurt me; he would have already hurt me if he wanted to.

I respond, "Tris and Tobias Eaton. They changed their surname to Rigor after they were married."

The man nods. "Where are you from?" he asks. My body freezes with nervousness. I don't want to tell him where I am really from. I don't want my secret getting out.

"Erudite," I answer. It's true, so I am not lying, but I haven't revealed the whole truth, which makes guilt attack me with sharp claws. The man can tell that I am uneasy about my answer.

"You're lying!" he yells, "You're hiding something! I can see it in your eyes!" I lean back, startled by the man's words.

"I'm sorry," I tell him, trying to make peace. I don't want to fight with this man. I don't want to have to yell at him. I do need to tell him the truth, and I think I can do that without revealing my secret. "Some secrets are best kept," I say as calmly as I can, trying to calm him. It doesn't work.

He starts yelling and screaming, and I know that any attempt at calming him now would be useless. He is like an animal. I have enraged him by withholding the truth. He slaps me repeatedly on my arms and face. The sting from the slaps leaves red marks on my skin, and I lose it. I scream, "I'm sorry!" over and over as loud as I can until my eyes fly open and I exit the simulation.


	11. Chapter 11: Fear

**Chapter 11: Fear**

"It seems that you have not lost your aptitude for any faction," Jeanine says, "You are still the ultimate Divergent." That statement both scares me and comforts me. I like being selfless, honest, smart, peaceful, and brave all at the same time, but Divergence of any kind is dangerous, especially my Divergence. As Evan escorts me back to my room, I ask him, "When is my next test?"

He looks to the side a little. "Jeanine's almost finished with the next test's serum," he responds, "It'll probably be an hour before it's ready." I nod and stare at the floor until we reach my room. After Evan closes the door and leaves, I decide to take a short nap until my test.

It takes me almost no time to fall into a light sleep. I am filled with good dreams, and I wish that this hour that I have would last forever. All things must come to an end, though. When I hear Evan quietly knocking on my door, I immediately wake up and walk over to him.

"Let's go," he murmurs. I nod and follow him into the simulation room, where the chair waits for me. I get strapped in, and even though I feel the pain of the thin needle entering my neck, I don't even flinch. Then the room slowly fades to black.

When I open my eyes, I am in a classroom. I remember this place right away. It's my Reading classroom, my least favorite. I stand at the podium in front of the room, looking out at the students sitting in desks in front of me. The teacher stands to my left, and points at something on the podium. I look down, and see papers with words on them. A report.

"Read," he says, still pointing at the paper in front of me. I look at the paper and my body instantly becomes rigid with fear. The words are all mixed up. I can't read them. None make sense to me. All I see are random words.

"I can't," I tell the teacher, "I'm dyslexic. I can't read." This makes a look of annoyance cross the teacher's face, and he points back down at the paper.

"Read," he orders, a little louder this time. The words are still swimming around on the page, and not one single word seems to make sense.

"All I see are random words," I tell him, "The only words that I see are something like bee, see, me, and tree or something like that."

Rage crosses the teacher's face. _This isn't good, _I think, _something bad is going to happen. _I am right. The teacher begins yelling so loud that I have to plug my ears. Embarrassment and shame bring tears to my eyes, and I let them fall. I continue sobbing as the teacher yells louder and louder until I wake up.

I wake up to a concerned Evan looking down at me. He goes to help Jeanine record the information from the simulation, and then proceeds to unstrap me from the chair and lead me back to my room.

As we are walking, he tells me, "I never knew you were dyslexic. I guess you don't have to be able to read very well to have aptitude for Erudite." I smile at him, and he smiles back at me. When we arrive at my door, Evan does something he has never done to me before. Right before I walk in my room, he turns toward me and folds me into a hug. I hug him back, and we just stand there for a minute, wrapped in each other's arms. When he ends the hug, he looks at me and smiles. I smile back, and walk into my room.

As Evan closes the door, I hear him whisper, "You're doing great. Just keep being strong." I nod, and lay down on the floor as he shuts the door.

The phrase, _Just keep being strong,_ echoes in my brain as I close my eyes, and it continues to whisper to me as I fall into a deep sleep.

**AN: Review, review, review! :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Mistake

**Chapter 12: Mistake**

This morning, I am woken up by Jeanine pounding on my door.

"Get up!" she yells impatiently. I stand up, walk to my door, and open it, revealing a sinister-looking Jeanine standing right in front of the door. As soon as the door is opened all the way, she grabs my arm and drags me towards the simulation room.

"I have finally come up with the perfect simulation to test your fight-or-flight response!" she exclaims, with a sinister kind of glee, like what an evil scientist would feel when they developed a master plan for taking over the world. We walk down the halls, which I'm really starting to hate, and finally enter the simulation room, where a needle full of purple liquid waits on a table for me.

I shudder when I think of all of the things she could be incorporating into the simulation to test my fight or flight response. Then, Evan drags out a machine that I recognize as a heart monitor. They must be using it to see how much my heart rate increases in a situation of fear. I watch as Evan plugs the heart monitor into the wall and turns the machine on. He hands me an electrode.

"Put this over your heart," he tells me, "Then attach this wire to the electrode. I do as I am told, and soon I hear the heart monitor beep. _Beep! Beep! Beep! _I sit there, listening to my heartbeat on the monitor for about a minute until Jeanine walks over.

"So, Evan," she says, "How's the heart monitor working?"

Evan looks down, and responds, "It's working fine. Can I have the serum?"

"Certainly," Jeanine says, and hands Evan the syringe. He walks over to me, and kneels down by my left side. He inserts the thin needle, and I feel a deep ache in my neck as he pushes down on the plunger.

This time, the room doesn't gradually fade away. I feel myself slump forward in the chair, and then everything drops off into darkness.

**Evan's Point of View**

Grey slumps forward in the chair, her hair spilling into her face, and I wonder if she is dead. The thought makes grief hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm not ready for Grey to die yet.

When I hear the loud beeping of the heart monitor and see the faint rise and fall of her chest, I am reassured. _Grey's okay. She's alive. _

"What's going on?" an angry voice shouts, "Why is nothing coming up on the screen?"

All eyes are on me now, and they're boring a hole in my face.

"What did I do?" I exclaim, waving my hands in the air, "I swear I didn't do anything!"

"Says the guy who gave Grey peace serum instead of simulation serum!" another angry voice shouts. Everyone looks at Jeanine, who is fuming with rage.

Someone else, in an attempt to try to come up with a solution says, "Maybe the transmitter never went in." Everyone seems satisfied with the answer, except me and Jeanine, who is still scowling.

"No," I counter, "The transmitter is always in the middle of the liquid somewhere. It had to have gone in." Everyone nods and turns to me. The woman who came up with the first idea asks, "What do you suppose happened?" I shrug my shoulders and think for a moment. Then it hits me.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," I announce, "but it would involve me looking at Grey's file."

All of the students look at Jeanine for approval. She keeps the scowl on her face and asks, "Why do you need that?"

"So I can see if she has any chemical allergies," I answer, "What was the main chemical you used in the serum?"

"Auretamine," she answers, "It pretty much composes the whole serum."

Someone asks, "Doesn't that have high allergen contents?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Jeanine says, "That must be it. I'll check and make sure." She walks over to the computer and clicks on an icon. Something pops up onto the screen, and I see Grey's picture at the top of the screen with the words, _Grey Alixa Rigor, Subject 004. _

_This must be Grey's file, _I think,_ I wonder what we will find here._ I watch Jeanine scroll through the information until she stops at the section about medical conditions. I scan the page for the part of the section labeled "Allergies and Other Conditions," and the first thing listed there reads, _Moderate-Severe allergy to auretamine. _

Jeanine gets a "Eureka!" look on her face and turns to me.

"Well, Evan, can you tell us what happens during a moderate to severe allergic reaction to auretamine?" asks Jeanine.

"Most often," I answer, "the reaction is loss of consciousness, but no loss of breathing or pulse."

Jeanine nods. "What do you suggest that we do now?" she asks.

I respond, "We should just keep her here, and give her intravenous fluids so she doesn't dehydrate. She could stay unconscious from anywhere to a day to two weeks."

Jeanine nods, turns towards a group of students, and orders, "Get the IV in Miss Rigor and make sure to monitor her heart rate and breathing. We don't want to lose a subject." Everyone runs off to do as they are told, and I stay with Grey. I grab her hand in mine, and press it to my lips.

_Just keep being strong, Grey Alixa Rigor_, I think_, just keep being strong._

**AN: I just want to give a shout-out to my first reviewer, RedAugust102! I'm glad you like the idea. The inspiration came from someone's fanfiction on some other website. It had only two chapters and was TERRIBLE! There was no backstory, or anything like I'm doing, so I thought_, I can do so much better than that._ So that's why I wrote this. Also, the chemical that Grey's allergic to isn't a real chemical. I had no other ideas, so I just came up with that. It really makes me happy when I get reviews because when my first story, Not Who You Think (deleted now) was posted, I only got 2 reviews, and one was really mean. Yours made my morning!**

**Lol I came up with a ship name for Grey and Evan. GREYVAN! YAAAAAAY! GREYVAN!**

**ANYWAY! The reason why I'm updating so much so fast is that I'd already written 28 chapters of this before I decided to post it on Fanfiction. So, I'll be updating four chapters at once (OMG COINCIDENCE WITH FOUR) until the 28 chapters are up. Then I'll startwriting more of it and posting every chapter or so.**

**Adios!**

**The Ultimate Divergent.**

**P.S. Fourtris Days are 4-6 (meh already passed) and 6-4 (OMG CAN'T WAIT). What should I do to celebrate (that involves this story)? Favorite answers get a shout-out for their submitter! Review, review, review!**


	13. Chapter 13: Retry

**Chapter 13: Retry**

**Time remaining: 1 month, 3 weeks, and 6 days-Grey's POV**

I am finally aware that I am in a state of some sort of sleep. I can hear voices around me and the faint beeping of a heart monitor. That makes me feel at peace. I like to be alive.

I sit there semiconscious for a while, until I hear Evan's soft voice call out to me. "Grey? Are you in there?" His tone of voice is full of worry. I don't want him to worry, so I decide to open my eyes.

At first, all I see is a bright blue light, but then the room starts to come into focus, and I find a worried Evan standing in front of my chair. He smiles at me when my eyes are completely open. "Hey," he says, "I'm glad to see your eyes open."

"How long was I out for this time?" I ask.

"About two weeks," Evan answers.

Two weeks! I can't have been out that long! "How much longer until I get out of here?" I ask.

"It'll be about 1 month, 3 weeks, and 6 days after today. I'm also glad to say that I'll be joining you in the choosing ceremony."

"What?" I say, utterly surprised, "Why?"

"I got in trouble with Jeanine. Twice. Everyone begged Jeanine not to exile me. She gave in to them, so now I have to choose a new faction on Choosing Day, or she'll kill me.

I nod, and decide to ask, "Am I resuming testing soon?"

Evan nods and holds up a syringe filled with purple liquid. "I was instructed to inject you when you woke up," he tells me.

"Oh," I say, hanging my head, "Go ahead, then."

He kneels down next to the chair, and carefully inserts the needle of the syringe into my neck. Then everything gradually fades from blue to black.

When I open my eyes, I find myself standing in the middle of a large room with about ten people standing around me in a semicircle. Their faces are cold and angry. I scan the faces, looking for any familiar ones, and I shudder when I see Evan among the stiff faces. I start to walk towards them, but I run into something after I take only one step: a glass wall.

I turn around and face away from the people and put my hand out in front of me, and it hits glass. I stick my hands out to the sides and feel more cool glass freeze my fingers. Then it hits me. I am sealed in a glass box.

Starting to panic, I jump up, trying to get out, but the top of my head bangs the glass roof of the box, and I drop to the bottom, dizzy from the impact. Then, a girl with light brown hair points down at my feet. I look down and watch in horror as my bare feet slide under about an inch and a half of water. The water begins rising, and I panic, banging on the glass and screaming. The water rises and covers my ankles, my shins, and then my knees.

Now I am really panicking. I smack the glass as water rises above my thighs and passes my waist. I yell as the water rises to my chest. _I'm going to die!_

I breathe deeply, trying to calm down. Panic won't help me stay alive. I need to focus on getting all the air I can in the next minute. When the water reaches my neck, I take a deep breath, let myself float to the top of the tank, and suck in one last gulp of air before the water seals me in the tank.

Holding my breath, I swim around the tank, weightless in the clear water. The people around me laugh evilly, but I pay no attention to them. I need to focus on getting out of this glass prison. My lungs start to burn, which means my time is limited. I try punching the glass in front of me, but the only result I get from that is aching hands. I throw my shoulder against it, and get rewarded with an aching shoulder. Then, I get an idea. Since I'm Divergent, I can manipulate the simulation. I know just how to do that.

_The glass is as thin as ice,_ I tell myself,_ the glass will be as thin as ice. _I draw back my fist one more time, and slam it against the glass. I watch in amazement as a crack as long as my arm forms in the glass. Smiling, I strike the glass one more time. The crack becomes a large hole, and water begins rushing out of the tank, and the force of the water leaving the tank widens the hole I made. Soon, all of the water has left the tank, and there is air again. I take a deep breath of air, filling my lungs, and punch the air triumphantly.

_I did it,_ I tell myself, _I won again._

Then I exit the simulation.


	14. Chapter 14: Comparison

**Chapter 14: Comparison**

When I finally open my eyes, I am greeted by a scowling Jeanine staring down at me. She purses her lips tightly and walks over to the computer. I can hear people muttering, "Yes, that's exactly the same," and wonder what's going on. A few minutes later, Jeanine walks over to the chair and scowls at me again.

"I ran the same test on your mother, Tris, before you were born," Jeanine says with a snarl, "My students and I were comparing your reactions to hers, and they seem to be about the same." I nod and look to the side at the floor below me.

"When is my next test?" I ask. I'm really starting to hate that question.

"In an hour," she responds, "Evan will take you back to your cell." I nod again, and remain silent as Evan walks with me down to my tiny room. He waves at me as I walk in the door and I wave back. After Evan shuts the door, I walk to the middle of the room and lie down on the floor for another short nap.

My short sleep is dreamless, and I am perfectly ready when I hear Evan softly knocking on my door. We walk to the simulation room, and I get strapped in a chair. On a table next to the chair is a syringe full of black liquid. I shudder at the sight of both the long needle of the syringe and the strange, pure color of the serum.

When another one of Jeanine's students walks over to pick up the syringe and inject me, my body immediately freezes with pure fear. I shiver with fright as the student then proceeds to kneel down next to me and inserts the thin needle of the syringe into my neck. Then the room slowly fades to black.

When I wake up, I find myself in the middle of a room similar to the last one. This time, instead of being trapped in a tank, I am tied to a wooden pole, and there is a large wood pile under my feet. The lights come on, and the same people from the last simulation surround me, all of them carrying lit torches. They all step forward, and light the wood beneath my feet together. The flames immediately leap up from the large wood pile and begin to travel up the pole. Smoke surrounds me, and I cough hard, my lungs scalded by the smoke from the quickly rising flames. The people laugh evilly, and I scream as loud as I can, not caring about my burning lungs.

I need to calm down. I try to steadily breathe in and out as the flames crackle around me. I feel the heat from the rising flames burning the tips of my toes, and I bite back a scream of pain. _In, out,_ I tell myself, willing my heart to stop racing,_ Breathe in, and out._ I close my eyes as the flames rise higher. Nothing happens. The fire still rises, and I begin to panic. There isn't much to do now but hope for rain. _Rain! _That gives me an idea.

I begin willing it to rain. _Come on, clouds. I need you. Rain! _When I feel the fire begin to touch my toes, I hear a loud boom that can only be thunder. I smile as the first drop falls to the ground. Then, another drop falls. Then another, and another, and another drop fall. Soon, rain is pouring down around me, and I let out a laugh of pure relief as the flames are put out with a hiss. I feel the ropes that bound me to the pole fall off, and I drop to the floor. I scream with delight as my hair and my clothes become soaked with rain. I laugh and scream and dance in the rain until the simulation fades away.

Then, I open my eyes and greet the faces staring down at me.


	15. Chapter 15: Flight

**Chapter 15: Flight**

After Jeanine and the rest of her students finished with the second results comparison of my results to Tris's, Evan walks me back to my cell. We say nothing, but we do exchange smiles as we walk down the hallways. We finally reach my door, and before I can open it to let myself in, Evan folds me into a hug. Surprised, I tense up a little, remembering the last time we hugged, which was when I was on peace serum, and I hug him back.

We stay folded in each other's arms for a few minutes until Evan drops his arms and quietly says, "I should get back. Your next test is in two hours, by the way." I nod, and he opens the door for me. I walk into my small room, and as Evan closes the door, I can hear him tell me, "You're doing great. Just keep being strong." The sentence echoes in my mind, and it is still whispering to me as I fall asleep on my floor.

A while later, I hear a soft knocking on my door, and my eyes snap open. Evan's voice calls to me. "Time for your next test," he says softly. I walk to the door and open it, revealing a smiling Evan standing in the doorway. "Ready?" he asks.

"I doubt I'll ever be," I say. He laughs, and I smile at him as we walk down to the simulation room. I am once again strapped in a chair, and I sit in silence as Jeanine fills a syringe with a sky-blue liquid. She sets the syringe on the table next to me, and watches as Evan picks up the syringe and kneels down next to me. I can hear him inhale deeply as he inserts the needle into my neck. He sets the serum on the table and walks away. I watch as the room drops off into darkness.

When I wake up, I find myself somewhere I thought I'd never be. I am high up in the air with the city just a small square patch of grey, green, and brown. I feel myself descending through the cold air, my long hair blowing in my mouth and in my throat, making me gag. I sweep my hair out of my mouth, and my stomach drops with realization. I'm free-falling towards the city with no way of stopping. Yippee. I can hear my heart pounding in my chest, and my hands feel damp. I reach behind me, hoping to find a little cord that opens a parachute. I will one to be there, and I feel a rush of relief when my fingers find rope. I pull the thin cord, and feel something open up behind me. I jerk back up in the air for a split second, and let go of the cord, smiling.

Big mistake.

The parachute falls off my back, and I scream as I watch it sail towards the ground. Now there's no way to stop my plummeting. Overcome by terror, I scream louder and louder as I continue free-falling towards the ground. This goes on for a few minutes until I realize what I need to do.

Since there are no more ways to manipulate the simulation and get out of it, I need to try to calm down. If I can get my heart rate to return to normal, then I can exit the simulation and stop plummeting towards the city.

_Calm down, _I tell myself. I can't. My heart pounds and cold freezes my body. Then I hear a voice in my head. _Grey, _it says, _you need to calm down. Breathe. _My heart drops to my stomach. The voice sounds almost exactly like Evan's. I listen to what the voice tells me, and do my best to breathe deeply. _In, out, in, out._ I close my eyes and focus on breathing, not on falling. _In, out,_ I think. I continue breathing deeply until I feel my heart stop pounding. I smile, keep my eyes closed, and stretch my arms out to the sides. Panic aside, it feels good to have the wind on my face, until it starts blowing through my hair back in my mouth, making me start gagging on it again.

_Ok,_ I say to myself, _I'm getting my hair cut shorter the first chance I get._

Then I exit the simulation.


	16. Chapter 16: Red

**Chapter 16: Red**

When I wake up, I find all of Jeanine's students scurrying around like mice, trying to get all of the data from my simulation all in order. None of them even look at me, except Evan, who smiles at me as he walks over to help Jeanine save my simulation data.

After Jeanine and her students are finished with me, I am walked back to my tiny cell again. Evan says nothing about our hug yesterday, in fact, he says nothing at all. I stare at the floor as he lets me in my door, and he leaves without a word. I exhale loudly, and sit down cross-legged on the floor. I can feel lethargy settling on me, and I decide to give into it. I lie down on the floor, and drift off into a light sleep.

In the morning, I am woken up by Evan's soft voice calling, "Grey! It's time to wake up!"

Groggy with sleep, I open my eyes, and walk slowly across the room. I open the door, and Evan stands in the doorway, a smile on his face.

"Time for testing!" he says, pretending to sound overly happy. I roll my eyes at him in mock annoyance, and he laughs. We take the routine walk to the simulation room and I am strapped in the chair once again. I watch as Jeanine fills a syringe with blood-red liquid. I shudder when I think of how the serum got its color. Then, she hands the syringe to Evan, who does the routine kneeling by my left side and insertion of the needle into my neck. I feel a dizzy, lightheaded feeling, and then there is nothing.

When I wake up, I am sitting in an empty room. I look around for any sign of people in the room, and find nothing. I sit there for a while, until I become aware of an excruciating pain in my left arm. I look down at it, and find the lower half of my left arm covered in blood from a wound I never even knew I had. I press down on the bloody wound, hoping it will stop the bleeding, but nothing happens. I press harder, and blood coats my hand and makes it slick. I start to panic. I'm bleeding uncontrollably from a wound I never knew how I got. Adrenaline rushes through me, coursing through my veins, and making the bleeding wound bleed faster.

_Calm down, Grey_, I tell myself, _Think like an Erudite. How do you stop heavy bleeding in your arm?_ Then it hits me. Pressure points! I remember now.

When my father, Tobias cut his arm on some sharp object when I was little, I remember him pressing down somewhere on the inside of his arm, well away from the bleeding wound. If it worked for Tobias, it should work for me. I take a deep breath to try to calm the rest of the panic that surges through me. All stress will do is make the bleeding worse.

I press down hard on the inside of my left arm, up near my armpit, and I feel a sensation like you feel when your arm falls asleep. That's good. It means that the blood isn't flowing as fast to my hand. I smile as I watch the wound that was once gushing blood fade to a slow trickle. I let go of the pressure point, and rip off a piece of my shirt sleeve to use as a bandage.

_Grey 1, Jeanine zip!_ I think, _I win again._

Then I leave the simulation.


	17. Chapter 17: Fight

**Chapter 17: Fight**

About a month and a half passes, following the same old routine every day: wake up, walk to simulation room, go through torturous simulation, walk back to my cell, sleep, and repeat. Somewhere in the middle of this redundancy, I might get a sandwich to eat and a drink of water if Evan can smuggle me one from the kitchen. It's quite tiring.

Now I pace around my cell with only two weeks until the day of my release. I found out from Evan that he and a few of the other students persuaded Jeanine to let the two of us have the day of the aptitude tests off. She agreed, but Evan would still have to take the test. I smile when I think about all of the things we will do after Evan finishes his test. I'm so jittery from waiting that Jeanine thinks I might have ataxia because my whole body trembles with the excitement, and I can never get myself to stop. _Only two more weeks until I am free! _That is the only thought I can think.

When Evan comes to get me for my next test, I can't keep myself from adding a skip to my step as we make the routine walk to the simulation room. I sit down in the chair and exhale loudly with boredom as the straps are secured across me. Jeanine seems to notice my boredom and says, "I don't think you will be very bored today. This simulation is one that I find quite stimulating." I shudder at the slight snarl in her voice, and she gives me her famous _So-there-is-really-something-wrong-with-you _look. I swear she still thinks I'm ataxic as well as dyslexic.

I suppress a hysterical laugh as Evan walks over with the serum and injects it into my arm instead of my neck. "You know what to do, Grey," he says as the room begins to fade away. _I do know what to do,_ I think, _and I will be strong._

When I wake up, I find myself back in the Dauntless's training room, the one lined with punching bags. I recall the last time I was in here in a simulation and shudder. Bad things happened here, and they're going to happen again. Then the door opens, and a tall, blond girl with icy blue eyes walks in. She smirks at me. "Ready?" she snarls with a voice that reminds me of Jeanine's.

A voice shouts, "Go!" and I lunge at the girl. She steps to the side quickly, and I almost fall over. As soon as I regain my balance, she punches me hard in the jaw, and I shriek with pain. I nearly fall on the floor, but I catch myself, and straighten up. Then I punch her in the stomach. She barely winces. Confused, I try to punch her again, but she grabs my arm, pulls me down so that I fall on the floor, and the room spins. She pulls her foot back, and kicks my nose. A crackling pain runs up it, and black spots begin to obscure my vision as blood pours out my nose. She kicks me again, in the stomach this time, forcing all of the air out of my lungs, making the room whirl faster around me. I try to tell her to stop, that I am done, but I haven't gotten the air back in my lungs, and all I can make is a wheezing sound.

I'm losing. I can feel it as she kicks my nose again, making the blood run out of it faster. She keeps kicking me, first in the stomach, then in the face as the room spins, dips, and sways, rivers of blood rush out of my nose, and black spots cover more and more of my vision. She then pulls her foot back, much farther this time, the sly grin in her face spreading, and kicks me in the face one last time. The room spins rapidly, too rapidly. I won't be able to stay conscious much longer.

"Down….I…go….." I say, my voice raspy. Then the spots cover my vision and I pass out on the floor.

Soon, the simulation fades away and I see the darkness of my own closed eyelids. _Oh well, _I think, _I guess it was my turn to lose today._ Then I remember that I've still got some time to spend here.

I may have lost this battle, but the war I'm fighting isn't over yet. I still have a chance, and I'm going to take it as soon as I can.


	18. Chapter 18: The Final Test

**Chapter 18: The Final Test**

It seems that time never passes quickly when you need it to.

It's only been a week and a half since my loss to the unknown girl in the simulation, but it feels like it's been a year. Today is the day before the aptitude test. Today is the day of my final test.

I never thought it would come. I never truly believed that I would actually get out of here. I now spend the time I don't spend in the simulation room or sleeping pacing around my room and coming close to convincing Evan that I have some other strange neurological disorder.

That's what I'm currently doing right now. I walk in continuous circles around my tiny cell, waiting for Evan to call me down to the simulation room for the last time. I start wondering about all sorts of things. _What is my final test going to be? What color will the serum be?_ Finally, I get bored of pacing and sit cross-legged on the floor, staring at the door in front of me.

Soon I hear the magical noise. Evan raps on the door softly enough to not disturb whoever is in the cell next to me, but hard enough that I hear it. I literally jump up from my sitting position and throw open the door. Thank goodness it swings open to the inside, or Evan would've gotten a door to the face. He smiles.

"This is it, Grey," he says, extending his hand, "The final test. I hope you're ready." I smile back at him, and take his hand in mine. We lace our fingers together for the last walk to the simulation room. I walk slowly, taking in all of the blue walls, the cold floors, and the wonderful feeling of Evan's hand in mine. We finally reach the simulation room, and I see Jeanine filling a syringe with grey serum. The color soothes me, because it is my name. This last serum is one I will remember. I sit down in the chair, and my hands shake with excitement as Evan pulls the straps across me for the last time. Jeanine hands me the syringe full of serum when she finishes it.

"I thought you would want to inject the serum for your last test," she says, "The injection site is in your arm, by the way. I nod, and position the syringe above my right arm. I take a deep breath, and feel the small pinch as the thin needle enters my skin. I close my eyes before the room can start fading, and soon I enter the simulation.

My eyes open, and I find myself in the center of a large circular room. Arranged around me are five bowls, each containing a different substance. I see water in one, grey stones in another, and glass, fire, and soil in the rest. I recall from something Jeanine told me many weeks ago. Each substance represents a different faction. Water is for Erudite, grey stones are for Abnegation, glass is for Candor, fire is for Dauntless, and soil is for Amity. This is what the center of the room used for the Choosing Ceremony looks like.

I know what I have to do now. I will turn around to whatever faction leader will host this Choosing Ceremony, take a knife from them, and cut my hand. I will then proceed to let my blood fall into the substance of my choice. _But what is the substance of my choice?_ I ask myself. I can't think about that now. I can't keep the faction leader waiting. I turn around, look at the ground, and accept the knife from the leader. I don't even bother to see who it is. I need to focus on the task at hand.

I look down, take a deep breath, and draw the blade of the knife across my right hand. It stings, but I barely notice as I study the bowls in front of me. I need to narrow down my choices. Erudite is obviously out, the secret of my ultimate Divergence would never be safe in Candor, I don't want to get on peace serum again in Amity, and I could never be selfless enough in Abnegation. That leaves only one option: Dauntless. I look down at the blood pooling in my hand, which is starting to run over the sides of my small hands. I've lived with the Dauntless long enough to enjoy their way of life. They are so alive, so free. I love it. I will feel what freedom really feels like. I will finally be who I really am. I will be Grey, the Ultimate Divergent. I smile. I know what to do now.

I take a step forward, hold my hand out over the bowl with the leaping flames, and listen to the wonderful sound of my blood sizzling on the coals.


	19. Chapter 19: Day Off

**Chapter 19: Day Off**

That night, I think about the choosing simulation and ponder what my choice will be. Right now, Dauntless truly seems like the place I will feel the freest. I may even get to see my parents again after being away from them for so long. I can barely sleep with the thoughts about my Choosing and my day off running through my head, but somehow, I manage to fall asleep.

I wake up later than normal. I have never been allowed to sleep in, and am glad for the extra couple of hours of sleep. I decide to sit and wait for Evan to come and join me for our day off. I sit there for what feels like a long time and start to worry until I remember. Evan has to take the aptitude test. I forgot! That reassures me. I'm glad that Evan's taking a really long time for that reason. Finally, when I am about to start to worry again, I hear his soft knocking on the door.

I jump up again, and throw the door open, almost taking a door to my own face, and say, "Finally! Our day off! What should we do first?" He smiles and I follow him out of the room.

"I was thinking we could get you something to wear for tomorrow, and I know just the place to get it," he says.

"Oh, and where would that be?" I ask.

"My cousin Rhapsody," he answers, "She's got some pretty cool clothes that might fit you. I nod, and follow him to an apartment with the name Rhapsody Harrison on the door. Evan lifts up his fist, and knocks on the door.

"Just a minute!" someone says. I hear footsteps, and the sound of a key turning in a lock, and then the door opens, revealing a tired looking girl with strawberry blond hair, warm brown eyes, and thin blue glasses. "Evan!" she says, "What are you doing here?"

"We came to ask you a favor," he tells her, "Can she borrow a shirt and skirt to wear for the choosing ceremony?" Rhapsody looks at me like she's examining me, and I shudder. I don't like looks of examination. They remind me too much of what I will soon leave behind.

"I think I have something that might fit her," she says, still looking at me, "What's your name?"

"Grey," I answer.

"Well, come on in, Grey," she says, with a hint of excitement of her voice, "I have something perfect for you to wear." She rummages in her closet a little before coming out with a light blue short-sleeved blouse and a long, darker blue skirt. "Try it on," she prompts. I nod, disappear into her closet, and change into the blouse and skirt. They fit perfectly, and I smile at my reflection in the mirror that sits on the closet wall. I don't want to keep Rhapsody waiting, so I open the closet door, and walk out into her small apartment. She smiles and hands me a pair of dark blue shoes. "Perfect," she says, "You'll look great for your Choosing Ceremony." I smile, slip the shoes on my feet, and we leave Rhapsody's apartment.

Evan leans against a wall, and I swear he would've fallen on his face if the wall weren't there. His eyes are wide, and he looks surprised.

"Wow," he says, "You look beautiful, Grey." I smile, and he takes my hand and we walk away. He thanks Rhapsody as we walk down the long, blue halls. Soon, we reach a door: the front door of Erudite headquarters. He opens the door, and we walk outside it.

Confused, I ask, "Where are we going?" Evan smiles.

"You'll see," is all he says. We walk for a little while, and as we walk, I feel the wind blow my hair in my face and I smile. I haven't felt what the wind feels like since the day I got shot with a tranquilizer gun. A few more minutes of walking later, we finally reach our destination: a large park with giant metal statues. This is the Millennium park. Evan leads me over to a small park bench, and we both sit and watch the clouds float across the sky.

We sit there, not saying a word until Evan breaks the silence.

"Tell me your story," he says.

"I'm no good at storytelling," I protest.

"Try," he pleads.

"Fine," I say, "I'll start from the beginning. I was born into a small Dauntless family. My parents were young, but they were the best parents ever. They showed me what being Dauntless really was. They taught me the true meaning of bravery. I loved them, I loved school, I loved life, I was happy."

"Until?" Evan asks.

"Until my first Upper Levels teachers noticed me behaving strangely. They saw behavior that seemed to show Divergence, but not just any Divergence."

"Ultimate Divergence," Evan says, completing my next thought.

"Right," I tell him, "After a long period of observation, my teachers finally contacted Erudite and told them the situation. They decided that this was a perfect study for them to perform, so a few members of Erudite devised a test that was like the aptitude test with different scenarios. I mean, a fourteen-year-old probably wouldn't respond to the same things as a sixteen-year-old. Anyway, they ran the test on me while I was at school that day. My results were reported as inconclusive as they got. I had aptitude for all 5 factions."

"Then what?" asks Evan.

"You know what," I say, "The results were reported to Jeanine Matthews, who couldn't resist an opportunity to study a new subject and gain more knowledge about the Divergent. So, to quench her ever-growing thirst for knowledge, she took me into custody of Erudite. My parents never knew until one of Jeanine's students told them. They were pretty mad and sad that their daughter was being taken away, but there was nothing they could do. You probably know the rest of the story, so I'll stop there."

"Wow," is all Evan can say, "That's so sad." I nod.

"Your turn," I say, poking him in the arm.

"Do I have to?" he says, pretending to whine.

"Yes," I tell him, "You have to return the favor. You learned about me, so I learn about you."

He growls in mock annoyance, and I laugh.

"Fine," he says, "I was born into your average Erudite family. Nothing out of the ordinary went on when I was really young until I started school."

"What happened?" I ask.

"From the time I started lower levels, I was a prodigy. I was always miles ahead of everyone else. I was the smartest kid in my class, and loved it. I liked knowing it all. That is, until my teachers decided that I was too smart for them."

"Too smart?" I ask.

"Yep," he says, "One day, when I was almost about to transition into Upper Levels, they sent me home and told my parents that I should start school somewhere else. I was too far ahead for them to catch up with me. One of the Erudite back at home suggested working in Jeanine Matthews' laboratory, since there was a new test subject and Jeanine could always use some extra help in the lab. I bet you can guess who that test subject was."

"Me," I say, "The test subject was me."

"Correct!" he says, "My parents and I agreed that this was the best option for me to continue my schooling and not be so far ahead. So I went, and then I met you."

"Then what?" I ask.

"I'll tell you later," he says.

"So, what are we going to do now?" I ask.

"Come here," he tells me, and I do. I scoot closer to him on the bench, and he wraps his arm around me. He pulls me even closer, so that our shoulders are touching. For a minute, I am confused about what he is doing, until he starts talking again.

"Grey," he starts, "I loved you from the minute I saw you. I wasn't sure what I was feeling until I felt it. I felt a rush of happiness every time you looked my way, and when you finally learned my name, I was the happiest person ever. I didn't know what the good feeling I got every time someone mentioned anything about you, even just hearing your name made me feel like I couldn't be happier. I asked Rhapsody what this feeling was, and she confirmed that it was love. She's right, Grey. I love you. I never want to leave you."

For a moment, I am shocked, but the shock is immediately replaced by love. I finally realized that Evan loves me. Then something clicks in my brain, too. I think I've fallen for Evan like he fell for me. I remember the hugs we shared and the happy feeling I got after them. I remember the happiness I felt when Evan held my hand yesterday. I don't think I've fallen for Evan. I have fallen for Evan.

"Evan," I say, "I don't know how to say this, but….I think I've fallen for you."

He smiles as wide as I've ever seen him smile. "We've fallen for each other. I love it. Grey Alixa Rigor, I love you."

"I love you too, Evan."

Then, Evan pulls me as close to him as I can get. His arm wraps around me, his right hand rests on my right arm, and his hand reaches for mine. He takes my hand, and we lace our fingers together. Then, I rest my head on his shoulders and sigh as Evan runs his thumb over the back of my hand.

We sit like this for a long time, neither one of us saying a word. It feels like heaven. I just sit there with my head on Evan's shoulders, his hand in mine, and enjoy the shivery feeling he gives me as his thumb strokes my hand.

I guess this is what true love feels like.

**AN: Awwwww! Greyvan fluff! Who doesn't like that?**

**Review, review, review! **

**~The Ultimate Divergent**


	20. Chapter 20: Choosing

**Chapter 20: Choosing**

Today's the day. It's the day where I finally leave my prison and start a new life. It's the day where I find out who I really am. Today is the day of the Choosing Ceremony. I stand up, and put on the light blue blouse, the navy blue skirt, and the navy blue shoes that Evan's cousin Rhapsody gave me. I don't have a brush, so I do the best I can with my fingers.

When I'm done, I look at my reflection in the small mirror that is mounted on my back wall. I never bothered to use it before, because all I would see in it is a tear-streaked face. Now, I see pure joy on my face. I smile at my small, almond-shaped grey eyes, numerous freckles, and the brown hair framing my face and cascading down my back. Now, all I need to do is sit and wait for Jeanine to escort me and Evan to the Choosing Ceremony.

It's a long wait. Minutes turn into hours and I'm about to wonder if today is really the day when I hear Jeanine's hard rapping on my door. I walk over to the door and open it. I am greeted by a smiling Evan, who is wearing a light blue shirt and navy blue pants with navy blue shoes like me and a scowling Jeanine, who hands me a hairbrush.

"One thing you must remember," she says as I run the brush through my long hair, "You are Erudite-born now. If anyone asks where you are from, you say Erudite. We cannot reveal your secret to anyone. Understand?" I nod quickly as I finish brushing my hair, which wasn't hard considering that I had already started brushing it with my fingers this morning. Jeanine turns and walks down a long hallway, which I recognize as the hallway I used to escape for my five minutes of freedom before I was shot with a tranquilizer gun. I stare at the floor, remembering that rather strange night when Evan hands me a silver hair clip.

"Pull the front of your hair back with it. All of the Erudite girls do, and it'll make you look more like one of them." I nod, and pull my hair back with the clip. Evan looks at me and nods, telling me that I did it right. We walk out of Erudite headquarters and Jeanine deposits me and Evan at the bus stop near the Millennium park: the place where we realized our true feelings for each other.

I smile as I feel Evan's hand brush mine. I open my hand, and lace my fingers together with his as we wait for the bus that will bring us to the site of the Choosing Ceremony. Soon, the bus squeals to a stop and the doors open.

"Ready?" Evan asks. I nod, and we walk onto the bus.

The bus is so crowded that all of the seats are taken. I grab onto a pole near the back of the bus, and Evan does the same. We stand in silence as the bus rolls and bumps over the cracked streets. Soon, I can see the large building called the Hub out the bus window, and I am immediately amazed by its great size. Evan points out the window at a slightly smaller building next to it.

"That's where the ceremony is," he tells me.

"Wow," is all I can say. The building is quite large, not as large as the Hub, but still large. There must be more people coming to this ceremony than I thought.

When the bus finally squeals to a stop in front of the building, I grab Evan's hand, and we walk off the bus, trying not to choke on the badly smelling smoke coming from some Candor men's cigarettes. When we finally pass the thick, smoky cloud, we walk into the building and head for the stairs, since the crowd waiting for the elevators is so dense. We run up flight after flight of stairs, and by the time we get to the right floor, I'm out of breath. We walk through the door, which is being held for us by an Abnegation woman with a smile on her face. I make sure to thank her as we pass through the door and walk into the large auditorium-style room lit by blue lanterns.

I enjoy the breathtaking size of the auditorium for a few minutes before dropping Evan's hand and finding the people whose last names start with the letter R. I finally find my seat between a Dauntless boy named Michael River and a cheerful Amity girl named Miranda Rhine, and wonder where Evan went and when he will choose. If I can remember correctly, Evan once told me his last name was Miller, so he must be pretty far behind me, which means I will choose before him. Now, all I can do is wait for the leader of whatever faction is holding this Choosing Ceremony.

After what feels like forever, I finally watch the leader walk into the room and stand in the center of the circle of five large bowls, each containing a different substance representing each faction: water for Erudite, glass for Candor, soil for Amity, grey stones for Abnegation, and lit coals with leaping flames coming off of them for Dauntless. When my name is called, I will walk up there, take a knife from the leader's hand, and cut my hand. I will then proceed to let my blood fall into the bowl containing my substance of choice. I remember this from the choosing simulation.

Suddenly, I am curious to see who the leader is, and as the leader raises their hands in the air to quiet the noisy crowd, I catch a glimpse of the leader's face, and I swear I hear a thud as my stomach drops.

The leader is Jeanine Matthews.

My heart begins to pound in my chest. _Calm down, Grey, _I tell myself, _You're not doing yourself any favors by being nervous._ I take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. _In, out._ I do this for a few minutes, listening to the cheers and excited whispers that echo around me when Jeanine mentions their faction. When she finally starts calling the names, I stop the deep breathing. It's not really doing much, and I think Michael and Miranda are starting to wonder about my sanity.

I sit in my chair, bouncing my leg and twisting my hands together in my lap as the time goes by and the names keep getting called little by little until I hear Michael's name called, Jeanine's voice amplified by the microphone that she speaks into. I watch as Michael walks confidently over to Jeanine, and takes the knife. He cuts his hand, and immediately holds his arm out over the Dauntless bowl. The Dauntless cheer as his blood sizzles over the lit coals. Finally, it is my turn to choose.

"Grey Rigor!" Jeanine's voice booms.

I rise carefully, and make my way over to Jeanine. When I get to her, I look right into her eyes, which stare back at me with extreme sinisterity as I take the knife from her. She steps back and I walk to the center of the circle of bowls, my heart pounding harder than ever.

I look down at my right hand, and using the lines on my hand as a guide, I draw the blade cleanly across my palm. I watch with emotionless eyes as blood begins to pool in my hand. I give the knife back to Jeanine and take my place back in the center of the circle.

I decide to go over my choices like I did in the choosing simulation. I obviously cannot go back to Erudite and face whatever torture waits for me there. I cannot join Candor because the secret of my ultimate Divergence would never be safe there. I cannot join Amity because I have been on peace serum once, and I never want to do it again. I cannot join Abnegation because although I am selfless, I would never be selfless enough. That only leaves me one choice: Dauntless. In Dauntless, I will truly feel what real freedom feels like. I will feel the thrill of jumping on and off a moving train and facing my fears. I may even see my parents again. I will finally feel alive and free.

I am brought back to the present when I see the blood in my hand begin to drip on the carpet below me, and I know that I am running out of time. I take one last deep breath and step forward. I hold my hand out over the leaping flames and smile when I hear the sizzle of my blood on the coals and the cheers of the Dauntless all around me. That is what real freedom sounds like.

I make my way over to the Dauntless section, wiping the blood from my hand on the inside of my skirt and finally reach the section where new Dauntless initiates are supposed to stand, which is filled with chattering Dauntless-borns and transfers. I sit there, saying nothing to no one as the names keep getting called.

After a while, I notice that the hand I cut with the knife when I chose feels strangely wet and stings a lot. I lift my hand up to get a better look at it, and with the light of the blue lanterns that hang around the room, I see a large pool of blood in my hand. Panic starts running through me. _The cut! It won't stop bleeding!_ I stand there, staring at my bloody hand, unsure of what to do until I feel someone tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see a tall Candor girl with light blue eyes, her light brown hair pulled up in a messy bun, and a concerned look on her face.

"Is that blood?" she asks.

"Yeah," I reply, "I must have cut too deep when I chose."

"You think?" she says, "Here. Let me help."

I watch as she pulls a first aid kit out of a white school bag and opens it, revealing all sorts of things like gauze and strips of cloth and adhesive bandages. I look at the stuff with confusion. I've never seen a Candor carry a first aid kit.

The girl laughs at my confusion and explains, "I like to be prepared." I give a nod of understanding and she starts cleaning my cut with gauze. When all of the blood is soaked up, she cleans the cut with antiseptic and lays clean, dry gauze over the cut. Then, she ties the gauze on my hand with strips of cloth.

"There," she says, "All done."

"Thank you," I respond.

"You're welcome," she says, "My name's Rina, from Candor. What about you? What is your name?"

I hesitate for a moment. _She's Candor, _I think,_ I know she'd keep my secret if I asked her to, but this is no place to tell. _I remember what Jeanine told me about telling everyone I was from Erudite, and decide to do what Jeanine told me to do.

"Grey," I tell her, "From Erudite."

"Nice to meet you, Grey," she says, a friendly look on her face.

We watch the people's names get called and I am about to get bored when I hear the name called.

"Evan Miller!"

I watch as Evan walks over to Jeanine without showing any traces of nervousness. He seems sure of himself, and does not hesitate when he takes the knife and draws the blade across his hand. He pauses for a second to let his blood pool in his hand before he steps forward and holds his hand over the bowl that sits in front of him. The room grows quiet as his blood falls into the enormous container. Right after, I hear the hiss of blood sizzling over coals and the Dauntless shout and cheer. I smile. Evan chose Dauntless so he could be with me. That was courageous of him.

I sit there in silence for a second, listening to the shouts of the Dauntless around me.

Then I add my voice to theirs.

**AN: YAAAAAAY! I'm almost done posting the pre-written chapters! Four more to go! After those, I'll start updating every chapter or so. Thanks again to RedAugust102 for reviewing every section of this story and giving me an idea for Fourtris Day! (June 4th, people, mark your calendars) I don't think I can put Four and Tris in a simulation, because that's all over now, but they will appear.**

**And to my wonderful Language Arts teacher (who said she would read this)... Thank you so much for being so awesome! Yay for Grammar Nazis! (people who are grammar freaks, like me) **

**Review, review, review!**

**~The Ultimate Divergent**


	21. Chapter 21: Welcome to Dauntless

**Chapter 21: Welcome to Dauntless**

After Evan finds me and Rina in the Dauntless section, we all sit in silence until I finally break the silence.

"Evan, I'd like you to meet Rina from Candor," I say, introducing the two of them to each other, "Rina, this is my friend Evan from Erudite."

"Nice to meet you," Evan says politely.

"You too," Rina responds, "Hey, I think they're about done calling the names."

I look up to the center of the auditorium and hear Jeanine call the last name, Omega Alison, a Dauntless girl who decides to stay with her faction. Then, once Jeanine has officially declared this moment the end of the Choosing Ceremony, the Dauntless stand up and head for the stairs. We run down the stairs with the sound of our feet pounding against the metal echoing all over the place. I smile as the sound echoes in my ears. I can already hear my freedom.

Soon, we reach the bottom of the stairs and continue our sprint until we reach the train tracks. _Why have they brought us here? _I wonder. When I hear the loud train whistle, my questions are answered.

"We're going to have to jump on a train," I say.

"Will it stop?" Rina asks.

"Probably not," says Evan, jumping in the conversation, "This is Dauntless. Knowing them, they would never get on a train when it was still and enjoy it."

"Good point," Rina and I agree in unison.

Soon, I can hear the thundering of the train on the tracks.

"Run!" I tell Evan and Rina, "Run before you lose the chance!" Then I break into a run, followed by Evan and Rina. As the train passes, the Dauntless standing behind us pile into the cars as the train passes them. When Evan, Rina, and I reach the door of a car, I take a deep breath and jump, throwing myself into the car. I watch Evan use the handle to pull himself in and Rina does the same. We all sit against one of the back walls of the train car, listening to the whistle of the wind blowing through the car's open door.

"That was cool!" Rina says. Evan and I nod in agreement as the train continues thundering over the tracks. As the minutes drag by, I start scanning the faces in the car, looking for anyone I might recognize. Then I see her.

"She" is a girl with a long, blond ponytail and icy blue eyes that stare behind glasses at the boy sitting next to her. She is the girl from my last fight simulation. My heart begins pounding. I don't really feel comfortable around this girl, especially with the heart-shattering glare that she aims at me when she notices that I am looking at her.

"What're you looking at?" she snarls. My heart skips a beat. I don't want to answer, and thank goodness I don't have to. The boy sitting next to her does my job for me.

"Lillian," he says, just as meanly as the tone in which she spoke to me, "Don't ask stupid questions."

"Fine, _Luke_!" Lillian snaps.

Rolling his eyes, Luke says, "Shouldn't you ditch the glasses? You don't need them. This isn't Erudite anymore."

Lillian looks like she wants to say something but thinks better of it before she takes the dark blue glasses off of her face, folds them, and throws them out the open door of the train car. "Satisfied?" she snarls. Luke smirks at her and nods as the train thunders on.

A while later, I hear people saying, "It's almost time." I look out the door. A seven-story building with a concrete roof is off in the distance.

"What are we supposed to do, jump off a moving train onto the roof of that building seven stories up?" Rina asks.

A Candor boy wearing a red hat nods, and we all stand up. I can see the building getting closer, and all of us in the car inch towards the doorway. Then, as the roof approaches, people begin jumping off. Soon, Evan has jumped and it's Rina's and my turn to jump. She grabs my hand.

"On three," I tell her, "One, two, and_ three!_" We launch ourselves out of the car and I feel a brief rush of weightlessness before Rina and I hit the concrete roof. I land on my feet, the impact sending a jolt through me that nearly makes me fall on my face. Rina stands a few steps away from me, she must have had to run a few steps, and in front of me are Evan, Luke, and Lillian. They all seem to have made it without any serious injuries. Rina managed to save her bag with the first aid kit, which makes her happy. When all of us have grouped together, we walk around the roof, feeling the wind blow through our hair.

Bored, I let my eyes wander around. They wander past the chatting Erudite, Candor, and Dauntless-born initiates. It's hard not to stare at the Dauntless-borns with all of their piercings, tattoos, and strange hair colors, but I manage to tear my eyes away and they rest on a lone Abnegation girl with reddish-blond hair and bright green eyes who is sitting on the hard concrete, saying nothing to no one. I want to ignore her, but something inside nags me to go sit with her and be a friend to her. I follow the internal nagging and sit down next to the girl. She looks at me with confusion, like she can't believe I just sat down next to her. I decide to talk to her.

"Hey," I say, "What are you doing all alone?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I guess I'm just sitting," she says.

I nod. "You're from Abnegation, right? What's your name?" I ask.

"Tallulah," she answers, "Not a very Abnegation name, is it?"

"We should trade names!" I say, "My name's Grey. I'm an Erudite with an Abnegation name." The girl smiles.

"Nah," she says, "I like my name."

"Me too," I say, "So, Tallulah, do you want to meet my friends?"

"Sure!" she says, any sadness she was previously feeling immediately biting the dust.

"Come on then," I tell her, finding my way back to Evan and Rina. "Hey! Evan! Rina! Come meet Tallulah!" Evan and Rina look over at her.

"Nice to meet you," they say. Tallulah smiles even wider now, and her eyes wander over to a group of two Amity, a red-haired boy and girl, both with bright green eyes like Tallulah's.

"Hey, can we add the Amity to our crowd?" Tallulah asks.

"I don't see why not," Evan says, "Let's go meet them!" We walk over, and after a long conversation, we finally learn that the girl's name is Red and the boy's name is Thomas. Red is a real chatterbox, and it takes Thomas three tries to get her to stop talking when the leader of Dauntless walks to the edge of the roof and raises his hands in the air. It takes a second for all our voices to peter out, and when they do, the Dauntless leader starts talking.

"Thank you," he says, "My name is Max, and as most of you may know, we Dauntless aren't big on speeches, so I'll get to the point. See the hole down there?" He points of the edge of the roof, and Evan, Red, Rina, Thomas, and I walk closer to the edge of the roof and look at the jagged hole in the concrete below us. "This hole is the entrance to the Dauntless compound. All you have to do is jump." I hear murmurs of, "Is he crazy?" and, "Is there a trampoline at the bottom or something?" Max continues, "I cannot tell you what is at the bottom of it. You must find that out for yourselves. Now, who wants to jump first?"

No one moves. I think a moment before deciding that I will be the first to jump. Evan did something courageous for me by choosing Dauntless, so I should do something courageous for him.

I walk to the edge of the roof, and everyone steps back to let me pass. Max smiles at me as I bend my legs to jump. I breathe in, and my feet leave the concrete.

My fall is quick, but fun and I let out a shout of excitement as I hurtle towards whatever waits for me inside the hole. A split second later, I feel some of the wind leave me as ropes press into my back. A net. There is a net at the bottom of the hole. I smile, and reach for a hand that extends towards me and let him pull me off.

"He" is a tall, muscular man with dirty-blond hair and deep blue eyes. Once I'm off the net, I walk over to a woman with slightly lighter hair and light blue eyes, and she asks me, "What's your name?"

"Grey," I answer.

"Grey," she repeats, "That's an Abnegation name."

I shrug my shoulders as she says, "Make the announcement, Four."

The dirty-blond boy, Four, leans over the net and shouts, "First jumper, Grey!" Then he leans back inside the cavern-like room that the net is in, and I swear I've seen him and the woman with the lighter blond hair before. I push the thought away. I've got other things to focus on besides people I think I might know. As I hear loud screams of joy, which I know belong to Red, the woman turns to me.

"Welcome to Dauntless, Grey," she says.


	22. Chapter 22: Transfer

**Chapter 22: Transfer**

Once everyone has jumped, all of the initiates mill around the cavernous room that we jumped into. Red talks our ears off while Rina, Evan, Thomas, Tallulah, and I try to look interested. Finally, after I thought my head was going to explode with boredom, Four silences us all.

"Initiates!" he yells, scaring the living daylights out of pretty much everyone, "My name is Four." He points to the blond woman who welcomed me to Dauntless and says, "This is Six."

"Four? Six?" Rina interrupts, "Why are both of your names numbers?"

Four looks annoyed. "You'll find out," he says.

Four continues, "Now, we're about to walk into the Pit, which many of you will soon learn to love-"

"The Pit? Nice name," Rina says, a smirk on her face.

Four's scowl doesn't leave his face as he walks over to her.

"What's your name?" he asks her.

"Rina," she says without any hint of fear.

"Well, Rina, if I wanted to listen to Candor smart-mouths all day, I would have joined their faction. I suggest you keep your mouth shut."

"I will take your suggestion, O Mighty Four," Rina retorts as Four walks back to where he was standing.

"Now, as I was saying," he says, giving Rina the evil eye, "We are about to walk into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. Before we continue, I need the transfers to stay with me and Six. Dauntless-borns, you go with Uriah over here." He motions to a man who has just walked out of a dimly lit tunnel. "I assume you don't need a tour of the place." About half of the initiates follow Uriah, shouting and cheering as they run down the tunnel. Then, Six turns to us.

"Okay," she says, "So, as Four already told you, my name is Six, and I'm just going to give you a little briefing about the Pit." She motions for us to follow her, and we start walking. "In the Pit, there's lots of things you can do. You can go and get new clothes, tattoos, piercings, and all sorts of other things. Now, if you'll keep following me and Four, we'll show you around," Six explains. After a while, we stop quickly, and I almost run into Evan. He smiles at me, and we look back at Six.

"This is the Pit," she says, "Take a moment to look around." I shove my way to the front of the group of transfers and as soon as I catch my first glimpse of the Pit, I am amazed by its size. It is cavernous like the first room, but about ten million times larger. I see places where you can get clothes and other various things lining the walls of the Pit, connected by stone paths and steps suspended high in the air that are crawling with shouting people. None of the paths have any rails.

"If you follow me," says Four, interrupting our moments of awe, "I'll show you the chasm." He takes off running down one of the paths, and all of us follow, not even giving a thought as to how high up we are, and how one slip could end us right then and there. Soon, I start to hear the sound of rushing water as Four leads us to a place at the end of the path with a metal railing. I look over the railing to see another cavern-like area filled with rushing water. I notice that one side of the chasm's water is calm, while the other rages, pounding against the rocks that line it.

"The chasm reminds us of the fine line between bravery and idiocy!" Four shouts, "A daredevil jump over this railing will end your life. It has happened before and it will happen again. You have been warned."

"Wow," is all that most of the transfers can say. Four leads us away from the railing and down another path. At the end of this one is a noisy dining hall filled with people shouting and cheering upon our entry. Rina, Evan, Thomas, Tallulah, Red, and I all walk over to a table towards the back that is pretty much empty, and sit down. I find myself sitting in between Rina and Evan, whose faces light up as platters of food are set in front of us. I stare at the round wedge of meat between two pieces of bread in front of me, and then I remember. This is a hamburger. I used to eat them all the time before I went to Erudite. I smile and take a big bite of mine. While all of us are eating, two boys walk over. Judging by the colors of their clothing, one is Candor and the other is Erudite.

After a few seconds, the Candor boy asks, "Hey, can we sit here?"

"Sure!" we all say.

"Thanks," says the boy, dropping in the seat next to Red. The Erudite boy looks a little lost, but he finally decides to sit in between the Candor boy and Evan. "I'm Ross," the Candor boy says, "This is my buddy Cress." Cress waves at us.

"Hola," he says. I laugh and continue eating my hamburger. A little while later, Four and Six join us at our table, and everyone goes silent.

"Oh come on," says Red, "Are they that scary?" Six bursts out laughing, and Four soon joins her.

I like Red. She's good at starting conversations and breaking up tension. Must be something she learned in Amity before she transferred. Soon, Six and Four start their own little conversation about training methods while Red tells a story about her sister getting too much peace serum. We all laugh until the dining hall doors open, and a long-haired man with so many piercings I don't even want to try and count them walks in. The room becomes as silent as a stone. You can hear all of his footsteps as he walks over to Four and drops in next to him. He smiles, stretching all of his piercings' holes and starts talking to Four.

Rina nudges me. "Who is _that_?" she asks. I shrug my shoulders. "Ask him," Rina pushes. I exhale loudly in frustration and turn towards the man.

"Who are you?" I ask him. He turns and smiles at me, pulling at his piercings again, and Rina and I both cringe in disgust.

"The name's Eric. I'm a Dauntless leader," he says with a purr to his voice. I nod, pretending to be interested as he finishes up his conversation with Four and leaves.

"That was odd," Ross says.

"Odd is the word," Evan agrees.

Then Red's face lights up, and Thomas actually says something for once.

"Oh no. She's gotten one of her ideas again. Watch out," he says/

I stifle a laugh and turn to hear Red's Possibly Dangerous Idea #1.

"Ok," she says, "So, I think we should all go around the circle and say something interesting about us. We can get to know each other better that way. Thomas, you can start."

"Um," Thomas says, "I hate peace serum." Red smiles and looks at Ross.

Ross says, "I hate interrogation." Red nods and points to Cress.

"I hate cockroaches," he says. We all look at each other, probably collectively thinking, _Who doesn't? _

"Okay, someone say something other than dislikes," says Red.

Evan responds, "I have a cousin named Rhapsody."

The, Red focuses her green eyes on me. "What about you, Grey?"

Hmm. I've got to think about this one. I have to say something that won't get me killed in the end, which means the secret of my origin and my Divergence is out. I finally decide to tell about my dyslexia.

"I'm dy-" I start, but am immediately interrupted by Four.

"Okay, let's not say that," he says.

"What?" I ask, confused, "Dyslexic?"

The entire table erupts into a chorus of, "Oh," that lasts for about a minute, causing everyone, even the Dauntless-borns to look at us like we're crazy. Soon, Ross decides to say something.

"Is this a game where we shout out random words that start with D?" he says, "In that case, my word is defenestrate. It literally means to chuck someone out a window. You have been educated."

"Oh yeah?" Cress retorts, "Well, my word is dunce. It means someone who is stupid. You have been educated."

Rina looks at Cress with a raised eyebrow. "Weren't you originally Erudite, Cress?" she asks.

"Yep," he answers.

"I see why you left them," she says as we get up and leave the dining hall.

Four leads us down hallways that are so dimly lit that I almost run into Tallulah a few times. Soon, we stop at a wooden door.

"First of all," Four says matter-of–factly, "Here are a few rules of the road. Everyone must be in the training room by eight o'clock every day. Training takes place all day from eight to six, and there is a break for lunch. After six, you are free to do whatever you want. You will also get time off between each stage of initiation."

I nod as I listen to Four's lecture. It sounds like a pretty good schedule with fair rules. I won't have a hard time complying with the schedule.

Four continues, "You are only permitted to leave the compound when accompanied by a Dauntless member. Behind this door is where you will be sleeping throughout initiation. There are twelve beds, and there are eleven of you, so that should work out well."

He's right. Just the right amount, with one to spare.

"In the first stage of initiation, we separate the transfers and the Dauntless-borns for training, but you are not evaluated separately. At the end of initiation, your rankings will be determined in comparison with the Dauntless-borns. Right now, they are better than you, so I would suggest you don't drag behind in training."

"Wait," asks a dark-haired, dark eyed boy, "Why are we ranked?"

"Really, Ryan?" asks Luke, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Four answers, "Your rankings will serve two purposes. The first is that it becomes the order in which you will pick your jobs after initiation."

I nod. That seems like a logical purpose.

"The second," Four says, "is that only the top fifteen initiates will become members."

Everyone grows quiet as the realization strikes them like a fist. The chances that some of the people in here are going to make it are slim, which includes me. I'm taller than most of the initiates, except for Tallulah, who is an inch or so taller than me, and Evan, who is taller by about a centimeter, but I'm thin and not the strongest person on the planet. Great. Just great.

"There are fourteen Dauntless-borns, and eleven of you. Four initiates will be cut after stage one, and the rest will be cut after the final test."

"What do we do if we're cut?" asks Luke.

"You leave the Dauntless compound," says Four, "and live factionless."

My heart drops to my stomach.

"You chose us," says Four, "Now we have to choose you."

Sleep does not come easy that night. I lie awake on the top bunk next to Red, unable to do anything but sit there and worry about what is to come.

I don't know if I will make it, but I have to try


	23. Chapter 23: Day One

**Chapter 23: Day One**

The next morning, I wake to the sound of Red talking right in my ear.

"Wake up, you sleepyhead!" she says.

"I'm up," I say, groaning. Today is Day One of training, but it seems too early to be waking up. "Do you have a watch?" I ask Rina as I change into the clothes that the Dauntless gave us.

"I do," Rina responds, "It's 7:50. We have ten minutes to get to the training room. Here, take this," she says, handing me a chocolate muffin. I thank her and start eating it as we walk to the training room. When Rina opens the door, Four, Six, and everyone else is already there, probably waiting on me to start. I finish my muffin as Four walks over to me.

"So," he says, "You finally decided to get up this morning."

"Yep!" I say as he grabs my hand and leads me over to the group of transfers. Then, he walks by each of us and presses a gun into our hands. I shudder, remembering all of the many simulations that I went through in Erudite that involved guns.

"Ok," Six says, starting the lesson, "The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second is how to win a fight. Watch as Four demonstrates the proper technique for shooting a gun."

All of us look at Four, wide-eyed as he holds up his gun and fires. Rina and I jump back, startled by the loud sound the gunshot made, and I look at the wooden targets that line the far wall. The bullet went right through the center.

"Just remember," Four says, "Inhale, aim, exhale, and fire." I repeat that over and over to myself as I take my place in front of a target. I hold the gun as far away from myself as I can, and breathe in. I set my aim on the target as I exhale. Then, my finger squeezes the trigger. _Bang!_ I'm not ready for the recoil, and I nearly fall on the ground. I stand up, looking for the bullet hole, and find it on the very edge of the target. Someone exhales loudly behind me, and I whirl around, startled by the noise. Four stands behind me, arms crossed in front of him, staring at the bullet hole on the edge of my target.

"Try to prepare yourself for the recoil," he suggests. I nod, and turn back to the target. After a few more tries, I finally hit the outer rings of the bulls-eye painted on the target, which makes me feel proud of myself.

I look around to see how my fellow transfers are doing. Lillian and Luke are doing impossibly well, coming real close to hitting the bulls-eye. Ryan, Ross, Tallulah, and Cress are getting there. They are closer than I am, but no one is as far off as Thomas, who only has a few holes on the edge of his target. He's going to have to work hard if he wants to pass stage one of initiation. Evan, Rina, and Red are about where I am. That makes me feel good, knowing that I'm not the only one who's a mediocre shooter.

A few minutes later, I hear an excited whoop that could only belong to Luke. I look over at his target and find a bullet hole in the center. Not long after, Lillian gives an excited yell, and I see a bullet hole in the center of her target. I feel a rush of anger. I will not be the last to hit the bulls-eye. I will not. From then on, I focus on accuracy, and my bullet holes get closer to the center. I hear Tallulah's ecstatic yell which means she must have hit the center as well. _That will be me next,_ I think, preparing myself to fire again. I take a deep breath, aim carefully, and fire.

The recoil isn't as strong, now that I'm used to it, so I am quick to recover from it as I look at my target. When I see where the bullet went, I holler with delight. The bullet went right through the center. I look at Four and Six for approval, and they both smile and nod. Their approval makes me smile as well, so I get back to shooting, bubbling over with joy.

One by one, people start hitting the bulls-eye, and their cries of joy ring in my ears. I smile as more and more people start joining the I Hit the Bulls-Eye Club. Soon, it is almost time for lunch, and the only person who's not in the I Hit the Bulls-Eye Club is Thomas. Eric walks in just before training ends to watch the last of the session, and I overhear Four and Six telling Eric about Thomas's failure.

I watch an irritated look cross Eric's face as he walks over to Thomas.

"How hard is it, Amity?" he yells, "Aim for the center, for crying out loud! You're aiming for the edge."

Thomas looks kind of scared, and I don't blame him. Hey, I'm getting scared just watching this scene.

"I….I just can't seem to prepare for the recoil," Thomas says. Eric doesn't buy it, and the look on his face gets angrier.

"Well then," Eric says, "Since you can't seem to hit the center, then you should at least be able to stand there while Four does.

"Hang on," says Rina, "You mean to say that you want him to stand in front of the target while Four shoots above his head?"

"Exactly," Eric says.

"Well, if you're going to make him stand there, at least give Four a larger target," Rina suggests, "Put a muffin on Thomas's head or something."

"Good idea," says Eric, "Thank you, transfer." Rina smirks.

"_How do you do that?" _I whisper to Rina.

"_I learned it all in Candor," _she whispers back,_ "That was an example of me speaking my mind."_ I smile and turn to Eric, Four, and Thomas, who are preparing for Four's shooting a muffin off of Thomas's head. The muffin is now in place, and Eric and Four are backing up. Thomas just sits there, rigid with fear. Luke and Lillian are smirking and snickering at the sight of Thomas's fear, which angers me.

Thomas shouldn't have to do this. It's too harsh a punishment for something small like not hitting the bulls-eye. I guess the things that matter little to me are much bigger matters to them. Still, I can't let Thomas risk his life like that. It's not his fault that he couldn't hit the bulls-eye.

"Stop," I say.

"I'm sorry?" Eric says, faking confusion.

"Stop," I say, my voice rising to a yell, "Don't shoot the muffin off his head! It's not his fault that he can't hit the bulls-eye, so he shouldn't have to risk his life for something that he couldn't control!"

"Well," says Eric, "If he shouldn't have to pay the price, then you shouldn't mind paying it for him. Now, go take Thomas's place at the target."

"No!" Thomas shouts, "Don't do it!"

_I'm sorry, Thomas, _I think, _but this is a price that you should not have to pay._ Then, I take Thomas's spot in front of the target and put the muffin on my head.

"Fire away, Four!" I call. (**AN: Song reference, see below)**

Four stares at me, his face emotionless, as he prepares to fire. I watch him breathe in and out. Then the gunshot splits the air. I don't even flinch.

I feel something hit my foot, and look down to see the muffin, broken in two, lying at my feet. I smile. Four didn't hit me. I look over at Eric's face, which is twisted in disgust as I join Thomas, Rina, Red, Tallulah, and Evan.

"Thank you for saving me," Thomas says quietly. I nod and turn to leave. I haven't even taken one step when I hear Lillian's voice call out.

"Hey, Stiff!" Lillian yells.

Tallulah yells back, "I'm not a Stiff anymore, so you can't call me that."

"Not you," Lillian snaps, "Grey."

_Oh, _I think, _I get it. _Because of my Abnegation name and my act of selflessness from earlier, Luke, Lillian, and Ryan have given me the derogatory title of "Stiff."

"I am not a Stiff, and you know that!" I shout back at them.

"Oh really?" Lillian says, "You seem stiff enough to me."

That I can't argue with. They took all of the words I would've had out of my mouth. Feeling defeated, I look down at the floor a little as I walk out, listening to their snickers behind me as I walk to lunch with my friends.

After lunch, Four and Six lead us to another room that has haunted a few of my simulations before: a room I call the Fighting Room. The floor is wooden, and it creaks with every step we take. On one wall is a large, green chalkboard, and lining the opposite wall is large, faded punching bags.

"As Six said earlier," Four says, "you are going to learn how to fight." This is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to various threats and challenges. This is a skill you must know if you want to survive life as a member of Dauntless."

I shudder at the thought of what Dauntless life must be like if we're learning how to fight.

"We will go over technique today, and tomorrow you will start to fight each other," Four continues, "I suggest you pay attention, unless you want to get hurt."

I do pay attention as Four shows us the basic punches and kicks. He and Six demonstrate the punches and kicks on the air before inflicting their blows on the punching bag.

Everyone catches on fast. Not everyone makes the bag move. I'm having a hard time doing it myself. My hands and feet feel like they are on fire by the time Six comes over to assess how I'm doing.

"Hmm," she says, "You may want to use your elbows and knees when you strike, since you're not as strong. Don't worry. Four told me the exact same thing when he was my instructor." She smiles and puts her hands on her stomach. "Make sure to keep tension here," she advises. I nod and practice until it's time to go to dinner.

Evan, Rina, Red, Thomas, Tallulah, and I all walk down to dinner together, talking about training and sharing worries about tomorrow's fights. Then, Rina tells a story about her accidentally getting on truth serum and all our worries are momentarily forgotten. We all go to bed with smiles on our faces that night. I'm just about to fall asleep with the memory of Rina's story on my mind until I remember the fights.

I toss and turn for a long time, anxious about whom I will have to fight. _What if I have to fight Evan, or worse? What if I have to fight Lillian or Luke? I'll be good as dead if that happens._

When sleep finally comes, it's a restless sleep, full of tossing and turning, apprehension, and worry about what tomorrow will bring.

**AN: As you may have seen, I put a song reference in this chapter. Whoever reviews with the song title of the reference first will get a shout out!**

**Review, review, review!**

**~The Ultimate Divergent**


	24. Chapter 24: Fighting

**Chapter 24: Fighting **

The next morning, I have to drag myself out of bed. I don't want to go down to the Fighting Room and use the skills I learned yesterday on anyone, not even Lillian and Luke. Most importantly, I don't want them to use their skills on me. I continue to tiredly drag myself along as all of us transfers make our way to the Fighting Room. When we get there, the fighting pairs are already written on the board in Four's shaky handwriting.

Evan vs. Ryan

Rina vs. Lillian

Grey vs. Luke

Tallulah vs. Cress

Red vs. Ross

Thomas

My eyes catch something on the third line that I'm not sure is real. I decide to read the third line again just to make sure.

Grey vs. Luke

Yep. It's real. My opponent is Luke, the one I wished I didn't have to fight. This isn't going to go well. Rina and Evan must be thinking the same thing. We all have to fight someone who could probably beat us unconscious in a matter of minutes. Great.

"Well then," Rina says, "This should be interesting."

"Interesting is the word," I respond. Evan nods.

"Hey," Red says, joining the conversation, "Why does _Thomas _get to be the lucky duck who doesn't fight?"

We all shrug our shoulders. Thomas got lucky today, but I have a feeling he won't be tomorrow, if Evan, Rina, and I even live to see tomorrow.

"Initiates!" Four calls, once again scaring the living daylights out of all of us, "Since there are an odd number of you, one of you won't be fighting today."

He's right. Thomas is today's reprieve. He is the lucky one, as Red called him.

"The fight will be over when one of you is unable to continue," Six adds, "Now, Evan, Ryan, get up there!"

Evan keeps his head held high as he walks into the center of the wooden floor. I see Ryan send a sinister look to Evan as he joins Evan in the center.

"Go!" Four shouts. Evan immediately lunges for Ryan, aiming a punch at his stomach, but Ryan is ready for it. He steps to the side quickly, and thrusts his foot at Evan's side, catching him off balance. Evan quickly regains his balance before Ryan can strike again, and counters with a kick to the stomach. I hear an _oof! _ sound escape Ryan as some of the air leaves him. Evan then proceeds to grab Ryan's arm, pull him closer, and punch him in the nose. Blood runs down Ryan's face as he wrenches his arm free from Evan's grasp. This time, Ryan lunges for Evan, hitting him right in the stomach.

Evan falls back, his hands slamming on the floor as Ryan stands over him, foot pulled back to kick. I watch Evan try to pick himself up off the ground as Ryan's foot flies forward, catching Evan in the nose. Now Ryan and Evan both have blood running down their faces. When Ryan pulls his foot back to kick again, I look on with amazement as Evan grabs Ryan's leg, and pulls him down to the ground. Evan then picks himself up, not seeming to care about the blood staining his face. He kicks Ryan over and over in the mouth, the nose, the stomach, and I see Evan drawing closer to victory. Soon, Evan is pulling his foot back for one final kick, and he deals the blow with precision. The kick was aimed at his stomach. I hear the rest of the sir leave Ryan's lungs with a final _oof! _as Ryan's eyes roll to the back of his head and he falls unconscious.

Rina, Red, Thomas, Tallulah, and I all cheer as Evan walks out of the room, blood dripping down his face. Six picks up Ryan and follows behind Evan.

"They're going to the infirmary," Rina says as Four circles Evan's name on the chalkboard, "Evan's probably gone to get an ice pack for his face." I nod as Six and Evan come back into the room.

"Next up, Rina and Lillian!" Six calls. I watch Rina take a deep breath as she makes her way to the center of the room, avoiding Lillian's glare. Evan sits down next to me as the fight starts.

"So," he says, holding the ice pack in his hands to his face, "How'd I do?"

I smile. "Pretty good," I tell him, "You had me worried for a moment there."

He smiles back, and we turn to watch Rina fight Lillian. It's not going so well for Rina. She already has blood running down her face, and she gasps for breath. Lillian gives her a sinister smile, and without even giving me time to blink, she uses he leg to kick Rina's legs out from under her. _This is the part where you find out who will win, _I think. Right now, the odds of winning are not exactly in Rina's favor. Lillian kicks Rina over and over again like she did in the fight simulation from a million years ago, and before Evan and I know it, Rina falls unconscious and the fight ends.

"Rina!" I call, running over to her. She blinks her eyes open and looks at me, dazed. I help her up, and Evan comes to take my place and lead Rina out the door. Then, I feel a pang of nervousness. I have to fight Luke now.

"Next up is Grey and Luke!" Four calls as we take our places.

Luke smiles as I stand across from him, waiting for the signal.

"Go!" Four shouts. Luke lunges the first chance he gets, catching me off-guard, and punches me hard in the jaw. Pain spreads across my face as my vision blurs at the edges. I throw my elbow back at him, but he easily dodges it and punches me in the stomach, forcing some of the air out of my lungs.

Gasping, I step back as Luke lunges at me again, this time striking my nose and making blood start to trickle down my face. More pain runs through me, making spots cross my vision as I struggle to stay standing. I try to punch Luke again, but he grabs my arm and pulls me to the floor. My chin screams with pain as I hit the floor face-first.

_Get up, _I tell myself, _Get up._ I start to push up with my hands, but Luke's foot presses into my back, pinning me to the floor as he kicks me in the side, making me turn over and curl myself into a ball. His foot then strikes my nose this time, making the blood pour out of it faster.

My whole body is an excruciating pain, and the room whirls around me as Luke kicks me over and over again, forcing the rest of the air out of my lungs, and making the stream of blood coming out of my nose become a river. The spots cover more and more of my vision as the room spins faster.

I can't win. I'm too far gone. The pain is too much to bear. The spots obscure too much, and the room spins out of control. _I'm done, _I think.

Then the spots cover the rest of my vision and I pass out on the floor.


	25. Chapter 25: Aftermath

**Chapter 25: Aftermath, Evan's POV**

"Finish her, Luke!" Lillian screeches from next to me.

I watch in horror as Luke brings his foot back one more time, ready to strike the already weakened Grey. When his foot hits her, she lets out a barely audible moan as her eyes roll back into her head and she exits her state of consciousness.

"No!" I yell, panicking, "Grey!" I throw the ice pack that was on my jaw to the side and run to the unmoving Grey. I whisper her name into her ear, praying for her to wake up. She doesn't respond. I try gently stroking her bruised jaw, getting the same result, and I start to panic even more.

"Need help?" Four asks, seeing my fear. I nod and he walks over.

"Can you pick her up?" I ask, "I would, but it would be hard, since we're pretty much the same height." Four nods, wraps his arms around her shoulder and her knees, lifts an unresponsive Grey, and starts walking in the direction of the hospital.

I follow Four out of the Fighting Room, looking over his shoulder at Grey to see if she has regained consciousness every few steps. All I feel right now is pure worry and panic that she won't wake up. I don't want to leave her side until I'm certain she's okay. I feel that if I do, I'll lose her and spend the rest of my life feeling lost and empty.

We finally reach the hospital and deposit Grey in a room, and I take my place kneeling by her side, her hand pressed against my lips as the nurses work to bring life into her unconscious body. I stay with her all day, and no one makes me leave. They all know to leave me with her, that I'll be useless in training if I don't know how she is doing. The only times that I am not alone are when someone brings me food or comes to visit Grey.

As dinner time draws nearer, I become more and more afraid that Grey will never wake up until I hear her moan. I jerk my head up and watch her eyelids squeeze tightly together and flutter a little before those beautiful grey eyes show themselves to me.

I smile. "Hey," I say quietly, "Nice to see your eyes again."

She smiles and turns her head towards me, making her wince. "Ow," she says in a raspy voice, "What happened, and why does my head feel like it's stuffed with cotton balls?" I laugh a little at the image that a head being stuffed with cotton balls gives me.

"Luke beat you up pretty good," I tell her, "He knocked you out and broke your nose with the power of his feet."

"How long have I been out?" she asks, still in that raspy voice.

"Almost a whole day," I answer, "Are you hungry?"

She nods and I go into the hall to flag a nurse down.

"Can Grey and I get some food?" I ask her. The nurse nods and runs off. A few minutes later, she returns with a bowl of broth for Grey and some chicken noodle soup for me with water and spoons for both of us.

I thank the nurse and walk back into Grey's room, putting the tray with the food on the table beside her hospital bed. She lets me feed her the broth, since she can't sit up yet. After we've both eaten, we sit there in silence, our hands clasped together and my thumb stroking the back of her hand.

After a while, I break the silence. "I love you, Grey," I tell her, "I haven't had much time to tell you that. I just wanted you to know that I still love you and I always will."

She smiles. "I love you too, Evan," she replies hoarsely, "Forever."

I smile when she says the word. _Forever._ It's a word full of promises of security and pure, unconditional love. Promises of happiness. I let the word echo in my mind, the softness of Grey's voice resounding in my ears. _Forever. I will love you forever._

**AN: OMG I'm so sorry I took so long to update so little. I am almost to the end of my prewritten chapters and I'm not ready to write new stuff yet. I've been really busy with swim team and all sorts of other stuff. I haven't abandoned this story, and I don't plan to. I just need to get inspired.**

**Also, as for the song contest thing, the only person who guessed the correct title of the song was...**

**A Guest reviewer! The song was Titanium by David Guetta. Hooray for you for guessing it!**

**Keep the reviews coming! They make me smile!**

**~The Ultimate Divergent**


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